The Dragon and His Heart
by dracofan53
Summary: It's Draco's Sixth year and he's been set to an impossible task. There is a new girl on campus with magical powers that will change the lives of everyone she touches, literally. Involves a unique twist to J.K Rowling's original plot ; R/R Happy Reading!
1. New Beginnings

Disclaimer:

I **DO NOT** own Harry Potter, or anything within the Potter universe. I did however, create the character Moira, she is mine, the plot is mine (mostly, some bits admittedly came from J. K. Rowling) everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Thank you for reading this story. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to review (whatever your comments may be)!

Happy Reading

Dracofan53

_New Beginnings_

It was Draco's sixth year and although he would never admit it out loud, he was thrilled to at last put some distance between himself and his father (even though his father was in Azkaban). The year ahead promised to be a daunting one, full of stress and pain and it was all because of his stupid father, his stupid, Death Eater of a father, Lucius Malfoy. Lucius was Lord Voldemort's right hand man and thus expected the utmost of loyalty from Draco as well. To prove his loyalty and to make up for his father's mistakes the Dark Lord had set Draco to a nearly impossible task, one he was certain to fail, but he would have to try to succeed at nonetheless.

Draco sighed as he threw his body against the cushioned bench of an empty compartment on the Hogwart's Express. A few moments later, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini joined Draco in the compartment. He immediately masked his face, keeping any emotions he might be feeling out his eyes. He fixed a smirk on his face and straightened his shoulders in a gesture of confidence and by doing so, reminding his fellow Slytherins who was superior.

A little father down the train in one of the numerous other compartments Harry and his friends were gathering, not quite excited for the new term, though not dreading it. Hogwart's was, of course, their second home. Harry was still feeling the loss of his Godfather, feeling cheated by how little time they had had together. The events of earlier that year were still very fresh in his mind. It was still crystal clear, Sirius was there and in the next instant he was gone, just gone. A stupid, fluttering curtain had taken the only man that had ever truly felt like a parent, a father, from him. Why couldn't it have just been a bloody curtain? Why did it have to be the magical type of curtain, the type that would forever remove his godfather from this earth? It was supremely unfair.

A few hours into the train ride, Harry, Neville, and Ginny left Slughorn's "Slug Club" party, discussing how boring it had been. Mostly Harry was quiet, too lost in his thoughts to truly contribute to the conversation. His thoughts were mostly concentrated on Malfoy. Harry was quite certain by now that Malfoy was, in fact, a Death Eater. Now all he had to do was find evidence to prove it to everyone else. He hated it when people didn't take him seriously. Why couldn't they just listen to sense?

Harry had an idea, and an invisibility cloak, both of which would help him glean the evidence, the proof, that he needed. So after Slughorn's awful "party", Harry donned his invisibility cloak and followed Blaise into the compartment of Slytherins; Slytherins that included Malfoy. Harry wasn't quite sure how he was going to make this work but he was confident that Malfoy would share his secrets with his friends.

The svelte Gryffindor was able to squeeze himself, invisibility cloak still on, into the luggage rack above the cushioned benches. He worried briefly that his shoe had stuck out a bit as he climbed onto the luggage rack but dismissed it, thinking he was simply being paranoid.

"There is no way the Dark Lord would trust you with such an important task." Blaise scoffed in disbelief at Draco's revelation.

"You don't even know what the task is." Draco grated out slowly. Blaise was not stupid, not by far, but sometimes he could be downright dimwitted.

"I may not know what the task is, but I know that it can't possibly be so important that it would give you the right to be such a self-righteous arse." Blaise bit back scathingly.

"This task _is _important. One of the _most_ important tasks there are and he assigned it to _me_." Draco nearly whispered as he spoke, his voice laced with malice, anger, and pride. When he had finished speaking, Draco crossed his arms over his chest and plastered a very self-satisfied smile on his face, sitting back and allowing Pansy to mildly molest him with her hands. He didn't actually _like_ the pug-faced girl, but she was part of the façade, part of the image he had to keep.

Draco arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow as he saw the briefest flicker of a sneaker hovering in the air by Blaise's head. He ignored the sight for now, promising himself he would investigate once the train reached Hogwart's; taking a mental note not to let anything important slip. The three Slytherins relaxed for the rest of their journey to school. Draco lay across the bench, his head in Pansy's lap, allowing her to stroke his hair.

Meanwhile, Harry was aching to move from his post on the luggage rack, but he was sure that if he moved, even breathed too heavily, his position would be made and he would have three very pissed off Slytherins to contend with, which would not be an inviting turn of events. However, much to Harry's dismay the Slytherins did not notice his presence, nor did they give him opportunity to escape. So he sat, scrunched up, legs aching, body protesting the rest of the way to Hogwart's.

The train mercifully pulled up to the Hogsmeade train station a few long hours later, the darkness of night surrounding them outside. Harry waited patiently for the Slytherins to file out of the compartment, allowing him his much-awaited freedom, but not all of them left. Draco stayed behind.

He never let on that he knew that Harry was there, but Harry knew in the instant that Draco didn't leave the compartment that he had been discovered. Harry waited with baited breath assuming that the worst was coming and in a way he was right. Draco saw fit to punish Harry by stupefying him and covering him with his invisibility cloak. No one would ever know that Harry was still there. Draco smirked and left the compartment thoroughly self-satisfied.

Harry on the other hand, felt nothing but self-loathing at the moment. '_How could I have gotten myself into this mess!'_ He was screaming in his mind but his voice would not cooperate. Fortunately, Tonks found him and led him safely to the castle.

The Great Hall was breathtaking to say the least and certainly a site for sore eyes for those who were returning. The enchanted ceiling displayed the glorious night sky, stars twinkling brightly in the clear and inky blackness of night, like small beacons of hope in a world of darkness.

The Headmaster's speech, and aptly so, was one of foreboding. It was somber and sobered many students there, but true to Dumbledore fashion, there was a twinkle in his eye as he shifted his speech toward the arrival of new students.

"Now, as most of you, those who return to Hogwart's halls, know, before we can tuck into what I am sure will be an exquisite feast, we must sort our new first years." Dumbledore paused for the ensuing cheers, a smile on his face, the kind that reached his eyes and shone brilliantly. After a moment he held up his hands requesting silence.

"This year, there will be an addition to the sorting ceremony. We have with us a new sixth year student this year. She has recently transferred from Beauxbaton's and I wish you all to give her and our new first years the warmest of welcomes to Hogwart's." Dumbledore finished his speech with a smile and sat, allowing Professor McGonagall to take over the sorting ceremony.

The Sorting Hat was placed on a stool in front of the long table at the front of the Great Hall, Dumbledore sitting directly behind the stool on the opposite side of the table. The Sorting Hat opened its brim and sang its song, one of warning. That hat always seemed to know more than it should for a hat, then again, this was a hat that spoke and _sang_.

When nearly every first year had been sorted, cheers for all, she was called.

"Moira Verene" Came McGonagall's stern voice.

Moira walked purposefully to the stool and prepared for the Sorting Hat to be placed on her head. Moira had heard stories of Hogwart's from her parents, both of whom had attended Hogwart's. They made the oddest match from what she had heard. Her mum was a Gryffindor and her dad a Slytherin. She knew that this hat was going to determine her fate for the next two years and she was a bit nervous, but she would not let a hat, a _hat_ of all things, cause her to lose her composure. Now was not the time.

McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat atop Moira's head, every eye on her as they awaited its decision and then it did the oddest thing. It sat quietly as though stumped and after what seemed as though forever to Moira, which in reality was only thirty seconds it spoke.

"Well," it said in an almost confused tone, "what house would you like to be in?"

"I don't know." She said, near the point of exasperation. Wasn't it the hat's stupid job to figure out what house she belonged to? Eruptions of house names followed her statement, each house vying for a new sixth year, shouting claims of being the best.

Moira closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. '_Where am I needed most?'_ She pondered this as she tried to get a feel for the souls that needed the most mending and then she felt it. It was as though her own heart were breaking right there. The torment and sorrow was overwhelming and she felt a sudden wave of sadness, anger and hatred wash over her.

"Slytherin." She whispered, voice broken with emotion, the slightest hint of blue tinting her cheeks for the briefest of moments.

The hat repeated her with a shout of "Slytherin!" and fell silent on her head once more as the Slytherins erupted in cheers. McGonagall removed the hat allowing her to join her fellow students, slightly confused by the Sorting Hat's decision. She knew Moira's history, knew what she was, and it just didn't make sense that the Sorting Hat would place Moira in Slytherin. McGonagall turned to Dumbledore and noticed a gleam in his eyes that told her there was a reason to the madness.

Moira walked to her table and joined her fellow Slytherins. Before she sat, she closed her eyes again and tried to feel for the most desperate soul. Without much effort she found him, not entirely surprised at who it happened to be. He was one of two people Dumbledore had written to her about and along with his letter had been a picture of each person.

Draco cheered with the other Slytherins delighted at the prospect of "fresh meat" amongst the Slytherins. If nothing else, he was sure that she might be a fun distraction to the task ahead of him. He smiled inwardly to himself as devious thoughts danced their way into his mind. He was even more pleased when she chose to walk over and sit next to him.

"Moira." She stated simply, offering her hand in way of introduction.

"Draco." He replied, noticing that she blushed as he took her hand in his, placing a chaste kiss on her knuckles. He flashed a brilliant smile and for a moment he was sure that her cheeks were actually glowing pink, but he shook that thought from his mind almost as soon as it had entered. Draco absolutely infused the air with confidence when he was in front of an attractive woman, so much so that it was nearly palpable. And she was attractive. Draco had spotted her instantly amongst the first years. She was short, standing at maybe 5'4", with long, dark auburn hair and piercing gray eyes, not unlike his own. Her skin was perfection, looking as though it were as smooth as silk.

Moira felt the confidence oozing from Draco, but underneath it she felt anger, hurt, and fear. This would not be easy, but she had guessed that much from the start. Now though, she knew it would be hard, she could feel it. She could feel his soul fighting to stay alive. Although, he did put forth an excellent façade, that, she couldn't deny him.

She ate the rest of her meal in contemplative silence, answering the occasional question when directed at her. Draco's attention had become, once again, occupied by Pansy. She was practically on top of him throughout dinner, trying to send a very clear message to her new competition: He's mine, hands off. Moira received this message as clearly as it was intended, but she had a promise to keep, one Pansy would not interfere with, no matter how attached to Draco she was. Moira could feel the toxic nature of Pansy and the effects that it had on Draco. Pansy would have to be dealt with. Nothing serious, it wasn't in her nature, but she would make her message as clear as possible: You're not good for him, hands off. All in time though, nothing would be accomplished that evening.

Eventually the food disappeared from the table and the Headmaster rose, issuing instructions to the prefects and Head Boy and Girl for that year. The first years followed their respective house prefects, the Heads ensuring that everyone remained in order.

"May I walk you to our common room?" Draco asked, offering Moira his arm.

"I'd love that, but I'm afraid I'm to meet with the Headmaster before going to the common room and it looks as though someone else might mind." Moira replied, her eyes very pointedly glancing at Pansy, a slight glow to her cheeks, one she would have to learn to control more effectively around Draco.

"I would be happy to escort you to his office and then to our common room and no she doesn't mind. " Draco replied, not willing to take no for an answer.

"Yes I do mind!" Pansy huffed, entering the conversation.

"Pansy, Moira is new here, she needs someone to escort her so she doesn't get lost." Draco replied in a falsely sweet voice that Pansy seemed to buy.

"Well why can't Blaise be her escort?" Pansy questioned, feigned innocence clear in her voice.

"Blaise is a prefect and has already taken the first years to the common room. I won't be long." Draco remarked with finality and placed a chaste kiss upon Pansy's blushing cheek. Then turning to Moira he extended his arm to her once more, which she did accept this time, taking his arm in her hands. Pansy fumed and turned to leave, hand clutching her wand the entire time. She was livid and evil plots whirled through her foul mind, but cursing this new tramp and having house points deducted would only cause Draco to become livid with her and she was ugly, not stupid. She was not the kind of witch that you wanted to make mad, even if you were Draco Malfoy.

"You wouldn't mind waiting while I spoke with him?" Moira asked quietly after Pansy stormed away.

"Not at all. Plus, I can't have you getting lost your first night here. It would be unacceptable." Draco gave a short laugh and a rare smile and together they walked out of the Great Hall.

After leading the first years back to the common room and verbally assaulting them with rules and expectations, Hermione and Ron joined Ginny and Harry in a secluded corner of the common room.

"Malfoy is definitely a Death Eater." Harry stated as soon as Ron and Hermione joined them. Hermione rolled her eyes at this. Although she was inclined to agree with Harry about Malfoy's true nature, she just wasn't willing to believe that a student would be allowed to be a Death Eater especially without proof.

"How can you possibly know that?" Hermione replied, using her "I know best" tone.

"I know that because he _is_ a Death Eater. Earlier, on the train when I disappeared, I followed Zabini into Malfoy's compartment and hid. I overheard him bragging to Zabini and Pansy about a very important task that he had been given by Voldemort." Harry replied feeling that this was more than proof that Draco was in fact a Death Eater.

"That doesn't prove anything." Hermione replied, folding her arms across her chest as she did so.

"What you're defending him now?" Harry questioned harshly, eyes glowering at his friend.

"No, I'm not. I'm simply saying that you can't go throwing such harsh accusations around without concrete proof. Did you see the Dark Mark?" Hermione replied coolly.

"No, but that doesn't mean that he's not a Death Eater and I would say that after everything we witnessed this summer and what I heard on the train, that that's more than enough evidence that Malfoy is a Death Eater."

" I agree with Harry, 'Mione. I'm pretty sure that Malfoy has joined Voldemort's ranks and if Voldemort has actually given him a task, then we need to be careful around him this year." Ron added, defending Harry's assumption.

Hermione shook her head. She wasn't willing to accuse someone of something so serious without concrete proof; no matter how likely it was to be true.

"I can't win with you two." Hermione sighed, " I still don't think you ought to accuse him of such a thing until you have actual proof, but I can see that I can't change your thinking. Ron is right though, if does have a task from Voldemort then we will need to be extra careful around him this year." The others nodded and their conversation switched to more jovial topics.

They were certain that this year would not be uneventful, but they were hoping that they would have a little longer until all hell broke lose. Unfortunately for the trio, they wouldn't be so lucky.

It didn't take long for Moira and Draco to reach the stone gargoyle that would lead to the Headmaster's office.

"I'll wait for you here." Draco assured her with a gentle squeeze to her hand. Moira smiled and muttered the password to the gargoyle that immediately jumped aside to allow her passage.

Moira wound her way up the spiraling staircase to the Headmaster's office. Upon reaching his door she knocked gently, but loud enough to be heard. Shortly after she heard his gentle reply, granting her entrance to his office. She opened the heavy wooden door and made her way in to the intricately decorated, if not somewhat messy office of Dumbledore. Her eyes wandered to the portraits adorning the walls and eventually made their way to Fawkes, the Phoenix. Her cheeks glowed a bright pink as she absentmindedly walked over to the beautiful bird.

"Good evening my dear, please have a seat." Dumbledore's voice wafted into her subconscious and brought her back from the world she had momentarily been lost in.

"Sorry sir." Moira's cheeks glowed even more brightly in embarrassment.

"Not at all. It is natural that you should feel kinship with Fawkes. You are birds of a feather, if you'll pardon the expression." Dumbledore replied kindly, his voice light and serene, as always.

"How are you adjusting so far?" He asked, gesturing for her to have a seat. She complied and sat in the comfy, high-backed armchair in front of his desk.

"Ok, I think. I haven't been here long." She replied with a smile.

"Yes, of course. However, I did notice that you have chosen Slytherin. I must admit that I was somewhat surprised." His eyes twinkled, belying the seriousness of his words. Moira looked away, unable to keep her cheeks from glowing.

" They need me sir," She replied clearly, " he needs me." She spoke her last words softly, knowing the Headmaster understood. The Headmaster did understand, because he, like McGonagall, knew of Moira's true nature.

"I know he does. Just do not forget that there is another that needs you as well." Moira nodded solemnly, knowing that it would be difficult to juggle both of them, but also knowing that it was necessary.

"Very well. I believe that you have had a long day and you need to rest. Please keep me informed and do not hesitate to come to me if you need advice, my door is always open."

"Thank you Headmaster and I won't forget." She smiled, rose from the armchair and quietly exited his office.

She found Draco, nearly asleep, leaning against the wall next to the gargoyle. His eyes opened slowly as she stepped out from the corridor leading to the Headmaster's office. He smiled briefly and offered his arm once more. Silently she returned his smile and accepted his arm, grateful both for his silence and the opportunity to sleep.

They continued on their way to the Slytherin common room, slowly descending further into the basement of the school. All the while her mind was mulling over the boy next to her and the other who would need her as well. She knew that they would both need her, she had known since Dumbledore had written her, but now she knew that the other did not need her nearly as much as Draco. She knew that the other person who needed her still had love in their life, this person was not on the verge of losing their soul, and Draco was. Although it would be difficult to juggle the two, she would have to find a way. Mostly because she had promised the Headmaster that she would not forget the other.

Moira knew that she was needed here. Many needed her in someway or another, however, there was one that needed her most, she had sensed it the moment she reached the Slytherin table. There was no doubt in her mind that his soul was being destroyed and she had to save it.

Moira was so lost in thought over the matter that faced her, that she did not notice their arrival at the common room. She had also managed to miss the password. She swore to herself, knowing she would have to ask him to repeat it. However, before she was able to ask Draco to repeat the password, her eyes fell on an extremely livid Pansy.

Pansy was sitting in a lone armchair, arms crossed over her chest, hate written across her face. Her eyes were throwing daggers at the two and she contemplated hexing them. Deciding against it, however, she instead smirked and settled for walking over to claim her man.

"Draco, you said it wouldn't take that long." She half whined, taking his free arm in hers, his other arm occupied by holding Moira's. " You were gone for nearly half an hour."

"Which isn't that long. Now if you'll excuse me," Draco replied, removing his arm from Pansy's grasp, "I'm going to say goodnight to Moira and show her to her room. Goodnight Pansy."

Pansy seethed, but dropped his arm. Without another word she stomped up the stairs to her room where she shut the hangings around her bed for privacy and pulled a rather ancient looking book out from under her pillow. Pansy would not allow this new slut to come in to _her_ territory and steal _her_ man. Moira would simply have to be taken care of and Pansy would see to it that she was indeed taken care of.

Back downstairs, Moira was left a little shocked at the turn of events, but overcame her shock quickly enough. Draco apologized for Pansy's behavior and gave her the password and explained that class schedules would be passed around at breakfast, with classes following. He also explained that the owl post usually arrived during breakfast, but that the owls often showed up at other meals as well and even during and after classes on occasion. Then again that was normal for an owl.

"So I'll meet you here at 7 tomorrow morning?" Draco asked, confirming his offer to escort her to the Great Hall in the morning.

Moira smiled, but managed _not_ to blush this time and nodded her head in agreement.

"Yes, I'll be here." She said a moment later, "Goodnight Draco."

"Night Moira." He replied with a wink, turning around to go up to his own dorm for the night.


	2. First Days

_First Days_

Moira sighed as she walked down the stairs to the common room, she could hear Draco arguing with Pansy as she neared the landing on the stairs. This was not how she wanted to spend her first morning at Hogwart's. However, she decided that it would be better to let Draco handle Pansy before she announced her arrival and opted to stand, just out of view, on the landing.

"What is wrong with you?" Pansy seethed, clearly not happy with Draco's decision to escort the tramp and not her to breakfast.

"Nothing is wrong with me." Draco replied coolly, not one to lose his temper, especially over the melodramatics of a silly girl. "I simply want to enjoy breakfast with my new friend, nothing wrong with that."

"There is something wrong with it when you're supposed to be _my_ boyfriend! What will people think if they see you cavorting with that tramp?!" Pansy shrieked. Draco had had enough.

"I'm _not_ your boyfriend Pansy. How many times must I repeat that to you? I never have, nor will I ever be interested in you. Have I made myself perfectly clear now? I do not want you Pansy." Draco replied coldly, his eyes darkening with his words.

"How can you say that? Don't any of the nights we spent together mean something to you?" She asked, her voice full of hurt.

"No." Draco's reply was cold, his gaze unwavering.

"You will be sorry Draco Malfoy. You will not get away with this." Pansy fumed. No one spoke to or treated her that way.

"You wouldn't dream of touching me. You wouldn't want to upset the Dark Lord would you?" He asked, malice lacing his voice, face only an inch away from hers.

Pansy involuntarily shuddered. She knew that although the Malfoy family had temporarily fallen out the good graces of the Dark Lord, however, hurting Draco would be seen as a personal affront to the Dark Lord. He would not be pleased with Pansy.

"I don't have to hurt you physically to destroy you." Pansy replied, voice menacing and shaking with suppressed rage, eyes narrowed on their target. She huffed and spun around, robes billowing around her as she stalked out of the common room.

Moira let out a breath she had not known she had been holding and revealed her hiding spot to Draco as she walked into the common room.

"How much did you hear?" Draco asked, not with anger, as he spotted Moira step into view on the landing.

"Enough." Moira replied simply.

"She won't do anything. She is far too afraid of the Dark Lord to act on her threats." Draco said reassuringly as he once again offered his arm to Moira. She took his arm in her hands and allowed him to lead the way out of the common room.

"So are you normally this callous with the women you've slept with or is Pansy special?" Moira asked innocently as they passed through the passage of the common room in to the halls of the dungeon.

"I wasn't being callous. I told her from the beginning that I wanted nothing more than what she offered physically. I never wanted her as my girlfriend and she knew that." Draco gave her a look that told Moira that further questions on the topic would not be tolerated.

His eyes bore into hers momentarily, before her cheeks began glowing and she averted her eyes from his gaze. Draco paused their walk and pulled Moira to a dark corner.

"Why are your cheeks glowing?" He asked, an _almost _worried look gracing his features. "Are you sick?"

"No, and my cheeks aren't glowing." Moira replied, nearly muttering as she tried to walk past him. He grabbed her arm preventing her from moving and gave her a look that clearly said, "I'm not an idiot. I know what I saw, now explain." Moira reluctantly relented and leaned against the cold wall of the dungeon, folding her arms across her chest and assuming the stance of someone who was not happy.

"My cheeks, glowing or not glowing, are none of your concern. I am perfectly healthy, thank you very much and I do not need you prying into my business. Now please drop this."

"No." Draco said nearly laughing. "Your cheeks glow, it's unnatural. So explain it."

Moira huffed and released what sounded a lot like a low growl before assenting.

"I was going to explain everything, just not today. Not now, not before I even have my first class, or breakfast for that matter."

"Well, too bad, you're explaining now. So, go ahead."

"Well you're right, sort of. The fact that my cheeks glow is _unnatural_, and very rare, though not in my family. A little more than a thousand years ago, my great-grandmo-"

"Don't you mean you're great-great-great-great-grandmother or something like that?" Draco interrupted.

"No, I mean my great-grandmother, please don't interrupt me. I'll explain everything. So, anyways, my great-grandmother and her family, were in danger of being destroyed by a very dark wizard, a master of the dark arts, not unlike the Dark Lord today. This wizard was hell bent on destruction and my great-grandparents were attempting to bring him down and end the mass destruction by the dark wizard and his followers. Unfortunately, their attempts to bring down the dark wizard made their family a prime target. My great-grandmother knew that she had to find a way to protect her family and she did. She was able to cast a very powerful spell, a spell that would create magic. This particular magic flows in the veins of every member of my family, myself included and it is designed to protect the person whose veins it flows through." Moira ended her story there, hoping that he would be satisfied, but clearly he wasn't.

"How does it protect you and why would it make your cheeks glow?" Draco asked, determined to get the whole story. Moira sighed, but decided it was best to just get it all out now.

"It protects me by keeping a permanent shield up. Curses, hexes, and unforgiveables bounce off and I'm unaffected by dementors. The magic was created with my great-grandmother's love; all of the love in her heart was laced into the magic. It's also why my cheeks glow anytime I blush or feel my heart break. It protects my soul, a dementor cannot take my soul, it cannot be ripped apart or destroyed and it is always protected. My mind cannot be entered and I can share my magic, temporarily, to protect those that I love and consider friends. Draco, I can share the protection that I have with you, if you want it. Don't answer me now, you'll have to think seriously about it, because my magic could become like a drug to you. If I start protecting you and then I stop, you could experience withdrawal symptoms; it wouldn't be fun for you. You have to be absolutely prepared to accept my magic, everyday, for a very long time. It would be a long-term commitment of friendship and loyalty to me. You must be certain that this is something you want. Only then can I share it with you." Moira finished, fists curled in his robes, darkened eyes staring intently into his, cheeks glowing brightly in the dark corner.

Draco was left speechless and only able to nod absentmindedly. It was a bit unnerving, but she was beautiful, with her cheeks glowing brightly and her grey eyes the color of steel. He felt the sudden urge to kiss her, but restrained himself, knowing that now was not the time.

Moira took slow deep breaths to calm her breathing and felt the glow receding from her cheeks. It was then that she realized that her fists were still curled in his robes and she quickly removed them, taking a step back at the same time. She looked down and then back up at him to see how he was handling it. He was quiet, in contemplation, and then seemed to come back to the present and offered her a dazzling smile. He took her hand in his and silently led them out of the dungeons to the Great Hall.

Moira was thankful for his silence and felt as though some of the weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She knew that he would still have questions and she would have more explaining to do, but not for now. She also still had the little matter of someone else to tell this very same story and it would have to be soon. She couldn't avoid the inevitable, and truly the other did need what she was able to offer.

The silence ended once they entered the Great Hall and were seated for breakfast. Draco asked many questions about her time at Beauxbaton's and her time before school. He also asked about things she liked and didn't like and Moira in turn, asked similar questions about him. They discovered that they both shared a love of Italian food and flying.

Following breakfast they had their first class, double DADA. Moira was not overly impressed with the behavior of her head of house and vowed to help him lighten up. The rest of the day went smoothly, despite sharing every class with the Gryffindors. Lunch and dinner followed in the same manner as breakfast, with more questions and learning more about each other.

"There's something that I need to take care of before I go back to the common room." Moira said turning to Draco once they had finished dinner. Now was her chance to at least introduce herself to the other.

"I'll wait."

"Are you sure? It might take a bit."

"I'm sure." Draco smiled; she seemed to have that effect on him. He couldn't help but smile at her.

"Alright, I'll be as quick as I can." Moira returned his smile and gave him a quick hug before walking quickly out of the Great Hall. She hoped that she hadn't missed him.

She found him talking with two friends just off to the side of the main corridor.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you Harry Potter?" The raven-haired boy, with piercing emerald eyes, and a scar in the shape of a lighting bolt chuckled softly and nodded his head.

"Yes, I am. This is Hermione and that's Ron. You're the girl that transferred right?" Harry replied.

"Yes, I'm Moira," She replied, offering her hand to each of them in turn as a way of introduction. " Harry there's something important that I need to discuss with you in private." Moira said, glancing at Hermione and Ron and then back to Harry.

"Well whatever it is can be said in front of these two." Harry said, reluctant to go anywhere alone with a Slytherin, even if she was a pretty Slytherin.

"Fine, but it still needs to be some place less conspicuous. Is there an empty classroom or something, that we can talk in?" Moira asked looking mostly at Harry.

Hermione nodded and silently led them to an empty classroom just down the hall and cast a silencing charm so they would not be overheard and lit candles for them to see while they talked.

"So what's so important?" Harry asked. He, Ron, and Hermione were all sitting on the teacher's desk at the front of the room while Moira stood in front of them, somewhat nervous to tell these three her secret. Fortunately her cheeks weren't glowing.

"First, you must promise not to tell anyone else what I tell you, except for Dumbledore, he already knows." Harry shared a glance with Ron and Hermione and then turned to Moira, nodding his assent.

"Ok, second, this was meant to be just for Harry, so I don't know if I'll be able to handle the two of you as well. I need to know now that that won't be a problem." Again the three nodded and Moira decided that it was safe to continue.

"A little over a thousand years ago, there was a dark wizard on the rise. He wanted destruction for everything, and would not stop until all had been destroyed. He was a master of the Dark Arts and willing to go to extraordinary lengths to see chaos in the world. My great-grandparents were trying to put a stop to this dark wizard and his followers and in doing so made themselves and their family a target. So my great-grandmother devised a plan to protect her family and future generations. She cast a spell that created a special kind of magic that now flows through the veins of every member of my family. It was created with all of the love in her soul laced into the spell and the magic that was created. The magic that flows through my veins protects me from nearly everything. Curses, hexes and unforgivables bounce off a constant protective shield. Dementors cannot come near me and cannot take my soul. My soul cannot be ripped apart and my mind cannot be entered. I am completely protected. What is most important about all of this though is that I can share my protection with you. I can transfer some of my magic to you, but you must be certain that you want it. Once I begin transferring my magic to you, it could become like a drug to you and if you were to suddenly stop having my magic, you could experience withdrawal symptoms; it wouldn't be fun for you. On the other hand, Harry, you might be strong enough to resist becoming addicted to my magic. You have many people who love you, and you love someone very much. Nevertheless, sharing my magic is not something that I take lightly. I need to know that you are willing to make a long-term commitment of loyalty and friendship. I need to know that you are absolutely certain this is something you want. Only then can I share it with you." Moira took a deep breath and stopped pacing to face Ron and Hermione.

"I cannot guarantee that I will be able to handle transferring my magic to all three of you, but if it is something that you are certain you want, I will try." She added, her voice never belying the seriousness of her words.

"That's a lot to take in." Harry finally said, breaking the silence that had ensued her proposal.

"Yes, it is;" Moira nodded in agreement. "And I don't want an answer tonight. I want the three of you to discuss it and _really_ think about it. Make sure it is something you want and when you have made your decision let me know, either way. Well, I've kept someone waiting long enough. It was nice to formally meet the three of you and please don't hesitate to ask more questions if you have them, just not tonight."

The foursome said their good-byes and parted ways; the Gryffindors to their common room and Moira back to the Great Hall. Draco was standing just outside of the Great Hall, leaning against the wall, waiting for her as promised.

"Thank you for waiting for me." Moira said as she approached Draco. He nodded and smiled in response and took her hand in his to lead her once again into the basement of the school and their common room.

Draco quietly said the password for the common room and Moira followed him through the door. The two sat in a secluded corner of the common room, in two comfy leather chairs that faced each other across a small coffee table.

"Would my cheeks glow like yours?" Draco asked bringing them back to her earlier proposal.

"Yes, but you can learn to control it, I just seem to have difficulty controlling it when I'm around you." Moira smiled at him and felt a faint glow on her cheeks that left as soon as it came.

"Will it change me?" He asked, a worried look briefly gracing his features.

"Your personality will stay the same, but I can't promise that you won't feel emotions differently, or I suppose you would feel you emotions more intensely. Beyond, that I don't know how or if it will change you."

"How will your magic be shared with me?" He asked. "Will it be painful?" He asked as an afterthought. Moira smiled and laughed softly.

"No it won't be painful and there are two ways of sharing my magic with you. The first is rather simple. There is a spell that I say, then we place our hands palm to palm and the magic is shared between us, giving you protection for the day. The second way is a more intimate way of sharing my magic and that is through a spell and a kiss." Moira smiled at the devilish look on his face and felt a faint glow working its way to her cheeks once more.

"Does anyone else at Hogwart's know about your magic?" Draco asked.

"Yes, but only Dumbledore knew before you. You were the first person that I told."

"Who else knows?" Draco asked; a strange feeling of jealousy had entered his mind.

"Its not important yet. When it becomes important I will tell you."

"Did you make them the same offer as me?" Draco asked, eyes darkening slightly.

"Yes," Moira replied nodding her head for emphasis, "But you are my first priority should you accept." Draco's eyes lightened at her admission.

Draco continued to ask Moira questions about her magic and eventually moved on to other topics of conversation. Moira enjoyed her time with Draco more than she had thought she would. From everything that she had felt the night before, when she had reached out with her soul to feel for the soul that needed her most, she thought that he would be impossible to be around, but he turned out to be a wonderful companion. She relished in the moments her hand was in his and she was blushing far too often. She was learning that they had many things in common and he was an excellent lab partner in potions. Draco had been by her side the entire day and it had been wonderful.

Meanwhile, back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were discussing Moira's offer.

"I think it's a good offer." Harry said to start the conversation. Ron nodded his head in agreement, but Hermione was reluctant.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, however, I think it's important that we speak to Dumbledore before we make a final decision." Hermione stated, ever the voice of reason.

"I agree with you 'Mione. Plus I think that we need to ask her a few more questions before we accept her offer." Harry replied. Ron nodded once more, unwilling to add anything more to the conversation.

"I wonder how she would share her magic?" Harry asked a few moments later.

Neither Ron nor Hermione had an answer for this one.

"Do you think we can trust her?" Ron asked.

"Yes, I think if Dumbledore can trust her then so can we." Hermione replied.

The three settled into more ambient conversation following their discussion of Moira's proposal. They joked and laughed for several hours before retiring to bed. They resolved to talk to Dumbledore the following day before making any further decisions regarding Moira's proposal.

The following afternoon, after lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione went to see Dumbledore. Harry gave the password '_lemon drops'_ to the stone gargoyle and it jumped aside to allow the three entrance to the spiral staircase, leading to Dumbledore's office. Harry knocked on the Headmaster's door and awaited his permission to enter. Dumbledore's soft assent came through the door and the three Gryffindors entered.

"Good afternoon Harry, Ron, Hermione." Dumbledore said smiling at each student in turn, "How may I be of service to you?"

"What can you tell us about Moira, the 6th year who transferred?" Hermione asked.

"Ah, you've met Miss Verene. Has she told you her story yet?" Dumbledore asked, a slight twinkle to his eye. The three Gryffindors nodded and waited for Dumbledore to continue.

"I don't know if I'll be able to tell you much more than Moira has already told you. I can tell you that I trust her and her family. Her great-grandparents are responsible for helping bring down the fall of a dark wizard and her parents fought with the Order in the last battle against Voldemort and they are back to fight again." Ron blanched at the use of '_he who shall not be named' _name. Harry and Hermione sat in silent contemplation for several moments before asking their questions.

"How does she share her magic?" Harry asked, the first to break the silence.

"She must first use a specific spell and then make contact with the person who she is sharing her magic with."

"Is it painful?" Ron asked.

"No." Dumbledore replied with a smile.

"Do others know of her secret?" Hermione asked.

"The professors know and I believe one other student has been told, but this is still to be kept as a highly guarded bit of information."

"Do you know who the other student is?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied, nodding his head, "But she should be the one to tell you when she feels that the time is right." Hermione nodded in understanding.

"There is perhaps, something else you lot should know. While accepting her magic will protect you from many things, it will have other affects on you as well. Your cheeks will glow with emotion, although you can learn to control this, and accepting her magic will likely cause you to feel emotions more intensely. It is not something that I can accurately describe, but it is both a wondrous and frightening experience." Dumbledore said, seriousness returning to his voice. "I encourage you to accept her offer, but do not take it lightly. Once you receive her magic, you cannot simply return it or suddenly stop receiving it. You will be making a long-term commitment to her. I also encourage you to bring your questions to her. She will be able to answer them far better than I can."

"Thank you professor." Harry replied sincerely. Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement and followed Harry out of Dumbledore's office.

Later that day, just after their last class, herbology with the Slytherins, Hermione approached Moira as she was walking hand and hand with Malfoy out of the Greenhouse, back toward the castle.

"Excuse me, Moira?" Hermione questioned, causing Malfoy to turn and face her.

"What do you want Granger?" Malfoy asked in his usual sneer.

"Nothing from you ferret boy." Hermione quipped. "Moira may I borrow you for a bit? I wanted to discuss our runes assignment with you. It will only take a bit. I'll bring you right back."

"Sure. I'll meet you in the library I won't be long." Moira said to Draco, squeezing his hand in reassurance before walking off with Hermione.

"Are we meeting with Harry and Ron?" Moira asked once Draco was out of earshot.

"No, I wanted to talk to you, just us, I'll tell Ron and Harry later."

"So I take it you have some questions." Moira stated.

"Yes, first, and this is just because I have to know, are you with Malfoy?" Hermione asked, disgust evident in her voice.

"No. We're just friends. He's been very helpful and genuinely nice to me. I can't tell you how much I've appreciated it."

"Be careful with Malfoy. He isn't known for hanging around with the best people."

"Trust me, he's being genuine. I know these things."

"How?" Hermione looked utterly confused.

"I can feel emotions, especially strong emotions and it helps to detect the liars around me among other things." Moira replied with a slight frown as she briefly thought of Pansy.

"Would that be something we would experience if we accepted your magic?"

"Yes, maybe not to the degree that I can at first, but in time you will."

"How will our emotions change?"

"They will become intensified, stronger. The experience is different for every person, but it has a lot to do with the reason that my magic is like a drug. If the person who accepts my magic has never felt intense love, then they will be far more likely to become addicted to my magic. However, that is not to say that someone who has experienced intense love won't become addicted to my magic. It really depends on the will power of the individual." Moira explained, " I can't fully explain the experience, I've only heard of what its like from my parents, I've never shared my magic with anyone."

"Will it be safe then?" Hermione asked, suddenly worried.

"Yes, I have been practicing the spell and I can do it perfectly now, I just haven't actually transferred my magic to someone." This seemed to reassure Hermione and she calmed once more.

"Are you willing to help the Order in the fight against Voldemort?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, and part of that will be protecting Harry's mind and soul from Voldemort's as well as yours and Ron's." Moira replied seriously.

"Did you offer to share your magic with Malfoy?" Hermione asked, disgust evident in her voice.

"Yes, but please don't tell Harry and Ron yet. I know that the three of you haven't exactly had the most brilliant past with Draco, but he needs what I have to offer even more than the three of you. His soul is fighting to stay alive against the evil he has been forced into. I have to protect his soul and I have to protect Harry. If that means not telling either that I'm helping the other then that's the way that it will have to be, but I have to protect them both. So please do not tell Harry and Ron yet. I will tell them, just not until it's the right time." Moira said practically begging Hermione not to tell her two best friends this bit of information.

"I don't like it, but ok. I will give you the time you need. Just watch your back around the Slytherins; they're a nasty, sneaky bunch. Even if you can trust Malfoy, you can't trust his friends." Hermione replied with a warning.

"I'll be careful. I should go before Draco comes looking for me. If you have more questions find me later and we'll talk again." Moira said.

"I will and be careful." Hermione replied, warning Moira once more.

Moira walked toward the castle, praying that Hermione would keep her secret. Not only would Harry be less likely to accept her magic but also Draco would be furious. She knew that to Draco, Harry Potter was public enemy number one. Not good. Things would just not go right if they knew. _'Stupid war, Stupid Voldemort.'_ Moira thought as she entered the castle. She huffed and then took a deep breath to calm herself before meeting Draco. And at the thought of Draco, a smile returned to her face and a slight skip appeared in her step.

**

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Dracofan53


	3. Falling

_Falling_

Moira smiled as she finally entered the library. She had taken a wrong turn that took her down a long corridor that eventually reached a dead end with a painting of a very rude princess locked in a very tall tower, whose obscene comments she tolerated momentarily before offering the princess a rude remark of her own and turning around. She made her way back down the corridor, found the correct turn and made her way to the library.

The library reeked of antique books, a smell Moira loved. She wandered toward the back of the library through the narrow separation in the rows of tall shelves filled with old books. She found Draco seated at a table in the very back, surrounded by a pile of books.

"Started without me?" Moira asked feigning a pout. Draco chuckled.

"Just thought I'd find the necessary books." Draco smiled as she took a seat next to him.

"What did Granger want?" He asked as she took parchment, quills, and ink out of her school bag, a look of disgust across his face.

"She just wanted to discuss a theory for our Runes assignment." Moira replied, not looking at him as she said so. Draco knew she was keeping something from him, but decided to let it pass for the moment, not everything she did was his business.

Moira took a book from the pile and they both silently started researching the ingredients and improper and proper uses of Veritaserum to write their essays for potions.

"I've thought of another question for you." Draco said, breaking the silence a few minutes later.

"What?" Moira asked lightly, not looking away from the passage she was studying.

"You never told me how it was possible that your great-grandmother was alive a thousand years ago. So how is it possible?" Draco asked, leaning back in the hard-backed library chair.

"The magic allowed my great-grandmother to live an extended life, a little over a thousand years." Moira replied, finally looking up at him.

"Will I live longer?"

"No, the magic will not stay with you, it will leave you each night and so it cannot extend your life, but it can protect you." Moira explained.

"Will you live for a thousand years?" Draco asked with curiosity.

"Possibly. I will either live for a thousand years or I will lose my magic at seventeen." Moira said cryptically.

"You'll become a muggle?" Draco asked with disgust in his voice.

"No. I'll lose my protective magic, the magic that I would share with you; I'll be like any other wizard or witch." Moira said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"So how do you get to live for a thousand years if you lose your magic?" Draco asked, a little confused.

"I meet my soul mate and transfer my magic to him with an unbreakable vow on my seventeenth birthday. If he is truly my soul mate, I will keep my magic. It will be permanently transferred to my soul mate and we will live together for a thousand years." Moira replied, a sad note evident in her voice.

"Have you met your soul mate?" Draco asked curiously.

"No and my Seventeenth birthday is next August." Moira replied, sadness evident in her voice. "I don't know what it would be like to not have my magic anymore. I would be completely vulnerable. I've never been vulnerable, not like I would be without my magic. It's a scary thought."

"Have any other members of your family lost their magic?" Draco asked.

"There was one Aunt, my Great-Aunt Phoebe. She only lived to be fifty, so I never met her, but Mum has told me stories about her that she heard from my grandmother. She said that my Great-Aunt lived the rest of her days as though there was always a rain cloud over her head. Mum said Aunt Phoebe lost all of the love in her heart the day she lost her magic; she never laughed or smiled again, and never loved another soul. Her heart was broken, not only by a man, but by the loss of her magic. He couldn't handle it and he left her on her seventeenth birthday. My Great-Aunt told my Grandmother, that she couldn't feel her soul anymore, nothing felt the same without the magic and it broke her heart. She died from a broken heart and I'm terrified that the same will happen to me." Moira said, nearly, though not quite, on the verge of tears.

This, of course, stressed Draco, he wasn't used to dealing with emotional girls. Most of the girls he'd ever had contact with were too self-absorbed to bother with matters of the heart, and thus they were cold-hearted ice queens. Moira was different. She _was _emotional. Her heart, usually, soared with emotion and feeling so strong that it literally made her glow. How was he supposed to deal with something he had absolutely no experience with?

"August is nearly a year away." Draco said in, what he hoped was, a gentle and comforting voice, and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. He wasn't sure if it would really help, but he had seen Potter and Weasley do it with Hermione when she was emotional, so he hoped it was the right response. She leaned in more closely to him and wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him, leaving him with no doubt that this was indeed the correct response, and leaned her head on his shoulder, willing the tears to keep back as they threatened to fall from her eyes.

"You still have time to find a soul mate and who knows, maybe you won't have to look any farther than right here at Hogwart's to find him." Draco said a few moments later, still holding her as she buried her head in the crook between his neck and shoulder. Moira mumbled a response into his shoulder that he couldn't quite hear.

"What?" He asked gently.

"You're right, and I'm sorry for being so emotional, but I am scared, I can't help but be scared." Moira replied lifting her head from his shoulder, though not quite ready to remove herself from the comfort and safety she felt in Draco's arms and as that thought crossed her mind, she knew in that instant that she was falling for Draco Malfoy. _'Oh bloody hell.' _She thought; this would not be good. Moira was supposed to find a soulmate yes, but not this soul, not Draco. She was supposed to help Draco, not fall in love with him, especially not within the time span of less than two days. She knew though, that that was exactly what was happening, she was falling for him and now she didn't know what to do to stop it.

Abruptly, Moira pulled herself back from Draco and started packing her things.

"Sorry," She said, as she put her things away, "I've just remembered that I'm supposed to meet with Dumbledore today. It completely slipped my mind. I'm so sorry. I'll see you at dinner." Moira replied, the tears nearly spilling at this point, as she hastily ran out of the library.

Draco sat there completely flabbergasted for several moments after she left. He couldn't figure for the life of him what he had done or said to make her flee from the library and he knew that she had lied about the meeting with Dumbledore, he didn't fault her for it, but he was utterly perplexed as to what had changed in the space of a moment.

"Women." Draco muttered as he finally went back to researching his potions essay. He heard someone chuckle and looked up to find Blaise standing before him.

"Pansy giving you trouble again?" Blaise asked as he took a seat next to Draco.

"No." Draco replied, "Moira." Blaise chuckled again and gave Draco a commiserative smile.

"Had a row, have we?" Blaise asked.

"No. One moment everything was fine, the next she's lying about some meeting with Dumbledore, on the verge of tears, and stalks out of here. I've no clue what it is I'm supposed to have done." Draco replied with as much exasperation as he felt.

"Well, you can't very well figure out what it is you're supposed to have done just sitting around the library, so you should go find her and talk to her." Blaise replied logically.

"I will, but not right now. She obviously needs her space. I'll just talk to her at dinner."

Blaise nodded and pulled out his own materials to study for his potions essay and both boys silently fell into their work.

Hermione was wandering the halls, ensuring that the first years made it around ok. Most were still getting lost in corridors that moving stairs had brought them to, or simply taking wrong turns in unfamiliar territory. As she rounded the corner and passed the girls bathroom, she heard the very distinct sound of someone crying. Being curious, Hermione opened the door and poked her head in. Not seeing anyone, she assumed it was a first year hiding in one of the stalls either very homesick or completely terrified.

Hermione smiled to herself as she walked fully into the bathroom, remembering her first year and how overwhelmed she had felt her first few days.

"Hello?" Hermione called out. All she received in response was a sob.

"I know the first few days can be overwhelming," Hermione replied, " but it gets better, and if you're homesick, we can send an owl to your parents." More sobbing ensued.

Hermione was unsure of what to do at this point, but knocked on the stall door anyway.

"Why don't you come out; we can talk about whatever has made you so upset, whatever it is I'm sure we can fix it." Hermione said through the stall door, hoping her efforts would not be in vain.

"I d-d-don't t-think you c-can fix t-t-this H-Hermione." Moira choked through her sobs as she finally opened the stall door.

"Moira?" Hermione questioned, as she saw the girl emerge from the stall, "What's wrong? What's happened? Is it Malfoy?" Moira only sobbed more at the mention of Draco.

Hermione pulled Moira into a hug and tried to soothe her. Moira cried for a bit longer before her tears started to subside, and when they finally had both girls sat down on the bench under the window.

"What's got you so upset? Did Malfoy do something?" Hermione asked.

"It's nothing Draco has done, but he is the reason I'm so upset. I'm falling for him and I can't let that happen, but I don't know how to stop something that's already begun." Moira replied, her voice cracking only slightly as she spoke.

"Well, I can certainly empathize with you. I don't think I'd much like falling for Malfoy either; ferret boy is a complete git. He's certainly done his best to see to it that my life is a living hell for the past five years." Hermione replied with vehemence.

"Well, he's been nothing but sweet to me and now I'm falling for him. I wasn't supposed to. I'm supposed to help him. How can I do that when I'm desperately trying not to fall for him? How can I help him if I have to avoid him? I don't know what to do!" Moira replied, on the verge of sobbing again.

"I don't' think there's much you can do to prevent it. Perhaps it would be best to succumb to it. Wouldn't it help if you were in love with him; wouldn't the transfer of magic be _more_ powerful if you had feelings of love for him?"

"You've done research." Moira stated evenly, her composure stiffening a bit.

"Yes. Dumbledore gave me a book so I might understand you better; help convince Harry he needed you." Hermione replied.

"What else did you glean from this book?" Moira asked, a bit of contempt entering her voice. Her anger was not at Hermione per se, but more at Dumbledore. Moira knew that the only book that discussed her rare abilities was her Great-grandmother's journal and the fact the Dumbledore had simply given something so important to a student made her boil.

"Quite a bit actually. It was very informative." Hermione replied.

"You could have simply asked me. You didn't have to go snooping into books to research me. You should have brought your questions to me." Moira replied in a tone that was not angry, but was also clearly not pleased with this new information. " And I would like you to return my Great-grandmother's journal to me, please."

Hermione nodded. She was frustrated with Moira for reacting this way, but understood why she would.

"I'm sorry if I've invaded your privacy and I'm sorry for doing something that you are clearly unhappy with, but if it helps any, I've always been an insufferable bookworm with a sometimes unfortunate thirst for knowledge. If I had known what the book was before I received it from Dumbledore, I never would have read it. I hope you'll be able to forgive me." Hermione replied in a stern, but gentle, voice.

"It's not you I'm angry with, I'm angry with Dumbledore for letting that book out of his site for even a moment, its too important to just leave lying around, or, no offense, offer to a student." Moira replied.

"I'll get it for you after dinner."

"Thank you and thank you for your help. I think that you might be right about my situation. Perhaps it would be helpful to admit I'm falling for him, it would help the transfer." Moira replied, "So what else did you learn from that book?"

"Well, I know now that you must find a soulmate by your seventeenth birthday and perform the rites of transfer and marriage. I also know that you mate for life, once you find your soulmate, he will be your only mate for the rest of your days and if he should die before your thousandth birthday, you will die, literally die, of a broken heart." Moira nodded, but remained silent, waiting for Hermione to continue.

"I've learned that it's nearly impossible for you to transfer your magic to the four of us each day and that if you do you'll be left with very little strength, that only time or a very specific, very hard to brew potion will help you to recover. I know that by simply being in the same room as someone else, they will start to feel happy, not a false happy, but they will feel the happiness flowing from all of their good memories and in turn it will actually improve their mood. Any children you have after your marriage will possess the same abilities as you, but the rites must be performed before the child is conceived or the child will not possess your abilities, and I think that I'm finally beginning to understand how hard all of this really is for you." Hermione stated. Moira nodded and hugged her.

"Maybe it's not so bad that you read the book. At least now someone else understands what I'm going through, but I'd still like to keep this between us. I'm not ready for the boys to know so much about me." Hermione nodded.

"Well, we should probably get to dinner. I'll get the book from my room for you after dinner."

"Thank you. I'll be in the library after dinner and from now on if there's something that you have questions about, just ask me, I'll be more than happy to explain." Moira stated.

Hermione nodded and the two girls left the bathroom. Silence ensued, but it was an amicable silence, and the girls walked down to the Great Hall, parting ways as they entered through the heavy doors.

As Moira walked toward the Slytherin table she attempted to keep the feelings of nervousness down. She wasn't sure how things would be at dinner after the way she had left Draco. So, she wasn't entirely surprised when she saw Pansy sitting to Draco's right, Blaise opposite, and Crabbe and Goyle sitting to his left.

Assuming that this meant she was unwelcome to sit with him during dinner she chose to sit at the far end of the table. She ate her meal silently, cursing herself for reacting so harshly, and quickly finished, rushing off to the library the moment she was done.

Meanwhile, Draco was distracted with Pansy's whining and missed Moira's entrance into the Great Hall. He still had no clue as to what would have caused her to react the way she had and he had been hoping to resolve it at dinner, but she never showed, or so he thought. He felt glum and irritated without her by his side, which only caused him to be more confused.

"Just go find her." Came Blaise's voice through Draco's thoughts.

"What?" Draco asked as his eyes refocused, turning their grey and hazy gaze toward Blaise.

"Go find Moira. You're sulking and you've barely touched your meal. Slytherins don't sulk, so go find her, sort this mess out and cheer up mate." Blaise replied. Draco wasn't thinking coherently enough to form a response and instead nodded his head and stood from the table.

Pansy, of course, protested and tugged on his arm, attempting to pull him back down into his seat. However, not to be deterred, Draco removed Pansy's hand from his arm and walked out of the Great Hall with the walk of a man on a mission.

After searching the common room and girls dormitories for Moira, Draco decided to head back to the library. He knew that there was a slim chance she might be there and didn't know where else to look. Fortunately for him, he found Moira there; tucked away in the darkest reaches of the library, surrounded by the same pile of books he had been early, a slight frown set on her face.

"Started without me?" Draco asked, feigning the same pout Moira had earlier.

Startled from her broken silence, Moira abruptly turned her gaze to him, wand pointed. She relaxed when she saw that it was Draco and offered him a seat with a wave of her hand. Draco rolled his eyes and sat in the stiff chair next to hers.

"Still mad at me?" Draco asked, his tone much harsher than he had intended.

"I was never mad at you. The world does not revolve around you Draco." Moira replied condescendingly.

"Well then what on Earth were you so upset about? One minute everything is fine, the next thing I know, you're out of my arms, lying to me about some meeting with Dumbledore, and then you were gone. What happened?" Draco asked, completely exasperated and flabbergasted.

"You. You're what happened. You and Dumbledore and this school and especially YOU!" Moira replied, a glow beginning to appear on her cheeks as she became more and more frustrated.

"I was happy. I was doing well in school and I didn't have to worry about some stupid war or sharing my magic. But Dumbledore had to come along and ruin it! He _needed _me. You need me and you are what has made me upset because instead of being some insufferable git you've been this sweet guy that I don't know how to handle and who I am absolutely falling for! There. Are you happy? Hmm? " Moira raged, poking his chest for emphasis with each word.

Draco had the decency to leave his mouth gaping at the end of her tirade unsure of how to proceed. So he did the only thing that came naturally to him. He wrapped his arms around her and in one swift move lifted her into his lap to kiss her. Her lips were sweet and warm, her hair soft as he moved his hands through it. The back of the library glowed with the light of her cheeks.

Moira was completely taken aback for a moment, unsure of what exactly had happened. However, as she realized that Draco was kissing her she relaxed into his embrace and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissed him back. His kiss was sweet and subtle. He didn't force his lips upon hers, but rather softly brushed them to hers. His lips melded with hers perfectly creating a symphony of feeling rise within her.

It was over far too soon and neither could contain the blush on their cheeks or the smiles that ensued.

"You're glowing." Draco teased lightly, testing the situation. Moira smiled brilliantly and blushed even more if that was possible.

"Oh hush, it's your fault." Moira teased back. Draco leaned in again to kiss her and just as his lips were about to reach hers, they heard the very distinct sound of someone clearing their throat. Moira looked up and noticed that Hermione was standing just a few feet from the table, a book in her hands.

"Thank you Hermione." Moira said sweetly as she stood and took the book from Hermione.

"Not at all. I see you resolved everything." Hermione replied with a wink. "Well, I have prefect duties to attend to, see you tomorrow in class."

"What's that?" Draco asked, pulling Moira back into his lap before she had the opportunity sit back in her chair.

"Oh just a book that I let Hermione borrow." Moira replied, not meeting his gaze.

"No more lies. You're going to have to be honest with me if you want me to accept your magic, or even continue being friends. I know we don't know each other very well yet, but we never will if you keep evading the truth when you're with me." Draco replied, voice stern though not uncaring.

"Ok. You're right. I suppose you ought to know now anyway. This book is actually the journal of my Great-Grandmother; a record of her life and the abilities of my family and the reason that Hermione had it are because the other students that know of my abilities are Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Dumbledore wrote to me over the summer requesting that I come to Hogwart's to attend school and offer my abilities to both you and Harry. I've offered it to Hermione and Ron as well, although I don't know if I'll be able to handle the four of you, should you all accept and you all need to. However, it will take quite a lot out of me to do so; there is a potion that I can take to help me recover and Snape has been kind enough to brew it for me, so I'm hoping that I will be able to help you all. I know that this probably won't make you very happy but you both need me and I promise that you will come first. If I can't handle all of you, or even just you and Harry, I promise that you will be the one that continues to receive it and not Harry." Moira explained, pleading Draco to understand.

"Why?" Draco asked after a few moments of silence.

"Why what?"

"Why me?" Draco asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Because you need me most." Moira stated simply.

"How can you possibly know that? I don't need anyone. I may fancy your company but I don't need you, no offense."

"I know that you need me because I can feel your soul. Your soul is fighting to stay alive in the darkness that it has been surrounded in. I can save you from losing it. That is how I know that you need me. I know it might be hard to believe right now, but if you accept my offer, you'll understand, because you'll be able to feel the souls of others too. It won't happen right away, but over time you will sense the souls of others. The first night I was here I reached out into the school with my soul and felt for the darkest and loneliest souls. I was met with a wailing reply from the Slytherins and yours more than anyone else's felt lost and nearly broken." Moira explained.

"Well, you're right about one thing. I certainly don't fancy the idea of you helping Potter and his friends, but if you say that they need you then I'm willing to accept it." Draco conceded. Moira smiled and wrapped her arms around Draco in a crushing hug.

"Thank you." She whispered into his ear, his arms wrapping around her to return the hug.

They stayed that way for awhile, neither willing to abandon the comfort they found in the other's arms. The lights began to dim around them, signaling their approaching curfew and closing of the library. Moira sighed contentedly and kissed Draco's cheek before rising to gather her things. Draco collected the books, and when Moira had finished packing away her belongings, took her hand in his and led her toward the front of the library where he deposited the books. They walked hand in hand back to the common room, a comfortable silence surrounding them. Draco stated the password and a portion of the wall slid away, allowing them access to the unusually deserted and quiet common room. He led Moira over to a couch in front of the blazing fire and wrapped his arm around her as she curled into him. This girl was driving him nuts in the best way possible.

They stayed on the couch, curled together and eventually fell asleep that way.

Draco woke a few hours later to a dark and now somewhat cold common room. He blinked a few times to regain his vision and smiled when he remembered Moira in his arms. Gingerly he lifted her from the couch and carried her to her room, placing her softly on her bed. Moira stirred only slightly and smiled in her sleep-induced haze when she felt his lips grace hers for a good night kiss.

**

I apologize for the ending of this chapter. I know it isn't exactly the best place to leave it, but there you have it.

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Dracofan53


	4. Acceptance

_Acceptance_

The first three weeks of school passed in a whirl. Moira was finally able to control the glow of her cheeks around Draco. Moira and Draco ate every meal together and sat next to each other in every class; they were becoming very close, much to Pansy's dismay. They studied in the library after classes and, much to Draco's chagrin; Hermione had taken to joining them. Apparently, she and Moira had become fast friends after their "talk". Draco still didn't like the idea of Moira helping the "Golden Trio" but there was little he could do about it. What he liked even less was that he had to tolerate the _mudblood _for Moira's sake_._ It wasn't even so much that he didn't like Granger. She was kind and smarter than anyone had a right to be. She was the epitome of the word student and truthfully she wasn't that bad. However, he was obligated to put forward a façade of hatred toward her because of his father's misbegotten beliefs.

The good news was that it was Saturday, which for Draco meant flying. He loved to fly; the feeling of the freezing wind made him feel so alive. No one could bother him when he was flying; he could lose himself in his thoughts. He could feel his eyes tearing up against the freezing wind, but wasn't fazed. Flying was nearly automatic for him, so his thoughts were concentrated instead on Moira. The girl was making him nutters. She was beautiful; nice to a fault and she made him happy just by being around him, although he had learned that that was caused by her magic. In truth he wanted to accept her offer, but he had only known her for few weeks and was, admittedly, a bit scared. To top it all off he was starting to feel something for her. He felt like a school-girl with a crush, it was pathetic. Draco had been attracted to other girls before Moira but had never felt any sort of connection with them, and never wanted anything beyond the physical pleasure they gave him. Moira just had to be different. She could actually hold an intelligent conversation; she was articulate, kind, and caring. She actually liked him, even when he was acting like a prat. She openly showed affection to him and allowed him to sulk if he felt like it. She was everything he wanted in a girl.

They hadn't spoken about their kiss in the library, nor had they kissed again, and neither mentioned her confession of having feelings for him, however, they had been nearly inseparable. He felt an insatiable need to be around her, feeling her touch whenever possible, whether holding hands or cuddling. While all of this was wonderful, he was utterly confused as to how he should proceed. He desperately wanted to feel her full perfect lips against his again, wanted to be with her in every sense of the word, but didn't want to push her. He was also afraid of what being in a relationship with her might mean. What if he was her soulmate? What if he wasn't? Both possibilities terrified him. On the one hand, if he were her soulmate they would live for a thousand years; on the other hand, if he weren't her soulmate, then he would be preventing her from finding her soulmate. He felt sick at the thought of some other bloke with her, but what choice would he have if he weren't her soulmate?

He was also horribly stressed over the task at hand. He had an idea, that _might _work, but it was a long shot at best. Although, the alternative to not taking care of this task was death, not only his death but also the deaths of his mother and father, so he had to try. The whole thing was stupid in his opinion. Voldemort knew that it would be impossible to succeed at this task, it was clear that he wanted Draco to fail, but Draco was not one to fail. He was accustomed to succeeding; how could he fail now? So he had no choice but to try, no matter how pointless it was.

While Draco was busy flying aimlessly around the Quidditch pitch, Moira took the opportunity to catch up on her reading in the library. Hermione and Moira were seated at their regular table in the back of the library; they had become fast friends after their talk. Moira was still confused about Draco, but rather than over think the many possible outcomes (as she usually did), she decided for once to allow things to just happen naturally.

"Harry wants to know if you'd like to meet after lunch by the lake to discuss your proposal." Hermione stated, setting her quill down and looking at Moira.

"Yes, that will be fine." Moira replied, setting down her book. "Will you and Ron be there?"

"Yes, we'll be there. So what do you think after your first few weeks here?"

"Oh, its not so bad. The school is pretty and nearly everyone has been helpful and kind. The work is challenging but manageable. There's really nothing to complain about but it's not the same. It's not what I'm used to, not yet anyway." Moira replied, a note of sadness in her voice.

"Things seem well between you and Draco." Hermione offered, hoping to lighten her friend's mood.

"Oh, they're alright. We haven't really discussed what happened. I told him that I had feelings for him, he kissed me and that was that. It's not bad; it just is what it is. I'm certainly not going to push him. He has enough on his mind without adding "feelings" into the equation."

"You seem resigned." Hermione stated.

"I feel that way. I know it's something I shouldn't worry about, but finding a soulmate has been on my mind a lot lately. I can't lose my magic and that requires me to find a soulmate. Can't exactly just pick one up at the store, so I feel as though it's a lost cause." Moira said.

"Not to offend, but that's silly. Love is never a lost cause and you've still got nearly a year. Do a little pushing with Draco, take a chance and see if he's the one. If he's not, I'll help you find the one." Hermione replied, hoping to cheer Moira up.

"Ok." Moira said with a bit of a laugh. "So what does Harry want to talk about?"

"Oh," Hermione replied, her smile suddenly gone, "He's figured it out, about Malfoy. I guess my studying with you two led him to believe that Malfoy was the other student. I swear I haven't said anything. I've tried to make him believe otherwise, but he's sure. Just as he's sure Malfoy is a Death Eater. So he's going to confront you and it will probably end with him shouting. It probably won't be pleasant, but just remember that he doesn't really think when he loses his temper and only means a fraction of what he actually says. Since I'll be there too, I will try to keep him as calm as possible, but he can't help himself sometimes, especially when it comes to his friends."

"I think I can handle a bit of shouting as long as he can be reasonable about the situation when it comes to it. He can't let Malfoy interfere with his decision." Moira said, a slight smile on her face.

"It'll all work out. He knows it's what Dumbledore wants and he trusts Dumbledore, so even if it takes a bit, he'll come around."

Moira and Hermione talked for a couple of more hours, discussing what Moira should do about Draco, how to handle Harry, and life in general. When it was finally time for lunch, the girls packed their things away and walked toward the Great Hall for lunch, with plans to meet by the lake after.

"Hello." Draco said, greeting Moira with a smile and a kiss to her cheek.

"Hello, did you enjoy your time on the pitch?" Moira asked, as she poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Yes. It was relaxing and gave me time to clear my thoughts. Did you have fun with Granger?"

"Yes, we studied some, but mostly talked."

"What did you talk about?" Draco asked, as he filled his plate with food.

"Oh, just girl stuff. " Moira replied evasively, not wanting to admit that they had talked about her feelings for him.

"What kind of girl stuff?" Draco asked, petulantly.

"You know, girl stuff, crushes, friends, insecurities, girl stuff."

"Whom are you crushing on?" Draco asked, keeping up the petulance.

"Were you not listening the other night? I. Like. You. My crush is on you." Moira said, giving him a small scowl and trying to make it as clear as possible that she indeed had a crush on him.

"I was listening, I just like hearing you say it." Draco said, offering her a brilliant smile. Moira blushed lightly, cheeks glowing briefly.

"Why?" She asked, nearly whining.

"Maybe it's just nice to know that someone cares about me." Draco replied; a note of seriousness evident in his voice and his mouth set in a small frown. " Or, maybe I just like to see you blush." He said a smile returning to his face. Moira smiled and pinched his arm lightly. They ate in a peaceful silence for several minutes, just enjoying each other's company.

"Fancy a walk after lunch?" Draco asked as he finished his lunch.

"Yes, but I'm afraid that I have to talk to the "trio" first." Moira said, with a sigh. "Hermione thinks Harry's figured out that you're the other student and wants to confront me. Fun." Moira replied, not entirely happy that she would have to talk to Harry and Ron.

"Then don't go. Come and walk with me." Draco stated, grasping her hand for a moment.

"Draco, I can't. It's important that I convince Harry that everything is fine and that this not deter him from accepting my offer." Moira said, squeezing his hand, asking him to understand why she needed to do this.

"Fine, then we'll walk after your little chat. I'll be in the library." Draco replied; then he kissed her cheek and left the Great Hall.

Moira sighed and took a final sip of her pumpkin juice before she too left the Great Hall and wandered down to the lake to wait for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

She sat on a boulder under a tree and waited for the three to arrive. Her thoughts wandered aimlessly, though she thought mostly of Draco and wished that he would give her some indication as to what he may or may not feel for her. As it was, the proverbial ball was in his court. There was little she could do until he gave her some inkling as to what he was feeling.

Ten minutes passed, she lost in her thoughts, before Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived. They joined her on the boulder, exchanging pleasant greetings with Moira as they did so.

"So, I assume Hermione has told you of my suspicions." Harry stated, jumping right into the intended topic of conversation.

"Yes, and I will confirm them. Draco is the other student."

"Why him. He's a Death Eater for Merlin's sake!" Harry stated, completely exasperated.

"First of all, you don't _know_ that he's a Death Eater, you assume that he's a Death Eater. Second, because Dumbledore asked me to. Because his soul is fighting to stay intact, because he needs me more than you do. I need you to trust me Harry, and if you can't do that then at least trust Dumbledore's judgement."

"Moira I know that this is your first year here, but Malfoy is a git, he's scum. I don't think he has one nice bone in his body. He doesn't deserve what you're offering. He's done his best to see to it that we're miserable. He consistently goads us and makes fun of us. We don't like him and we never will." Ron said, attempting to explain their hatred for the ferret.

"He has said horrible, disparaging things about all three of us for the past five years and this year he has some evil task he has to do for Voldemort. He's prejudiced and cruel. He doesn't have a heart or a conscience. He's evil incarnate. We hate him and with good reason." Harry said, getting his opinion in, trying to persuade Moira of Malfoy's true nature.

"He is nice though. He hasn't said one rude or disparaging word to me and he's been downright kind and sweet to me. I know that doesn't make much of a difference to you, but I can't be hateful to him for things he did before we met. I don't know that version of him, and while I don't doubt that what you say is true, it won't change what I think of him and it's not an excuse for you to throw away my proposal. It's too damn important."

"I just don't like it. I don't understand how you can claim to be here to fight for the Order and yet still be here to help Malfoy. You are helping both sides and that's just not right. It doesn't make sense!" Harry replied

"It makes perfect sense. My purpose in being here is to save the soul of a student, a child by all definitions, someone who has done nothing to warrant the loss of his soul but to be born into a family whose views are archaic at best. I am here to save his soul and to protect your soul. I am here to protect your mind from Voldemort. I am here to ensure that your mind and soul are not corrupted by Voldemort's wandering mind and evil deeds. I am here to ensure that you make it through this year untouched. I can and will do that, but you have to LET me do it. Don't you see that by protecting Draco's soul, I am protecting you as well? Can't you see that my offer to him will ensure that he never truly fights for Voldemort, that while he will never fight for the Order, he will never truly fight for Voldemort. He won't fight for him if he has his soul. His conscience won't let him. I'm not asking you to be friends with him. I am not asking you to even like him. I _am_ asking for a little understanding and compassion toward a fellow human being. That's all I'm asking for. Please." Moira ranted, ending with a pleading expression on her face, willing Harry and Ron to understand.

"I still don't like it, but if it's really that important I suppose I can tolerate it. Have you begun with him yet?" Harry finally stated after several minutes of awkward silence.

"No, he still hasn't accepted, but neither have you."

"Well, I am now. When do we begin?" Harry asked, anxious about the whole thing, but finally beginning to understand the importance. He felt reluctant to accept her offer and weary of her because of her relationship with Malfoy. Although, remembering a few pointed words from Dumbledore, he felt obligated to accept.

"Tomorrow morning. Is there a place where we can meet in private, somewhere where no one will disturb us?" Moira asked, a smile on her face.

"Yes, we'll meet outside the Great Hall before breakfast and then we'll show you where." Hermione stated, a smile on her face as well. "Will Snape have the potion for you?"

"Yes, he gave it to me earlier this week."

"What potion?" Ron asked, returning to the conversation.

"A potion to restore my strength after transferring my magic." Moira explained, and then asked hesitantly, "Does this mean you accept as well?"

"I'm with Harry, I don't like it, but I'll tolerate it."

"Excellent. This really is best, you'll see. Have a little faith."

"They'll try," Hermione said, hugging her friend, "and they'll see, this is best. We'll see you in the morning."

"Alright, see you three in the morning." Moira said as the four parted ways, the trio to another spot around the lake, Moira to the library to retrieve Draco.

Draco sat in the back of the library at the table that had become "their" table. He was mad, even though he had no right to be so. He didn't like being brushed off for the trio, but he had no claim over her, she didn't have to put him first, which made him even angrier, and that only served to make him sad that she wasn't his. It was an exhausting cycle. He just wanted her, but he wasn't sure that he could really have her. He wasn't even sure if it was really a good idea for them to be friends anymore, what with the threat of Voldemort and all, but he didn't want to give her up either.

"What's wrong?" Moira asked as she sat down at "their" table, taking his hand in hers as she did so.

"Nothing really, I feel a bit put out is all, but now you're back so everything's fine." Draco said, as he gathered his things and stood.

"Do you still want to take a walk?" Moira asked as she too stood up.

"Of course. Shall we?" Draco replied, offering his arm to her. Moira smiled and grasped his arm, as she was accustomed to doing, and allowed him to lead the way.

"Mind if we take a quick detour? I want to put my things away first."

"Not at all, lead the way." She replied with a smile.

Draco led them down to the Slytherin common room, where he left her briefly to deposit his bag in his room.

"All set, love?" Draco asked, offering his arm once again. Moira blushed, only slightly. She relished the moments in which he was truly sweet to her and felt hopeful that he might feel the same for her as she for him. She wished that he would just let her know, one way or the other, it would make things a lot easier.

Draco led them to the lake and started their path around its shores. The weather was glorious. The sun shone brightly, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and there was the slightest breeze in the air that kept the day from being sweltering and instead made it perfect.

"How did your "talk" go?" Draco asked, breaking the peaceful silence that had ensued their leave of the common room.

"Alright. It took a bit of shouting, but we reached an understanding and I'll begin with them in the morning." Moira said, happiness clear in her voice.

"Well that's good I suppose. So, scarhead finally listened to Granger then?"

"Well her and Dumbledore, and possibly a few things I've said finally sunk in, but either way, he's finally seen reason. He's accepted and that is good. Have you thought any more about it?" Moira asked.

'_If only she knew.'_ Draco thought. Her offer was constantly on his mind these days. He thought of it every moment he was awake and it haunted his dreams when he slept. He was torn. On the one hand it could be the best thing to ever happen to him, they could fall in love and live forever, well a thousand years anyway. On the other hand, he could refuse her offer and he would be alone and miserable forever. When he looked at the extremes, it was easy to make the choice, but it was so much more complicated than it appeared on the surface. It wasn't an easy choice and this choice was too important to make flippantly.

"Yes." Draco finally replied. "I still don't know what to do."

"Say yes." Moira offered; her arm still linked with his.

"I want to, but I don't know if I can." He said, turning slightly, so he could look at her as he said it.

"Why?" She asked, an expression of hurt painted on her features.

"Because I just don't know if it's a good idea." Draco replied, looking away from her.

"Of course it's a good idea. We've been over this, you need me; you have to say yes." Moira replied pleadingly.

"Fine. Yes. But if this all goes horribly wrong, I blame you." Draco said, not entirely serious.

"Fine, but its not going to go wrong. Why can't everyone see that?" Moira asked, simply asking the question and not really directing it at him.

The pair walked in contemplative silence, holding hands, for several minutes. Both were lost in their thoughts as they reached the far side of the lake. Draco silently led them to a large, flat rock, which rested on the edge of the lake and jutted out over the water. They sat on the edge, their feet dangling over the water, her head resting on his shoulder and her hand in his. The water was rippling gently across its expanse. The breeze blew lightly through the trees, causing leaves to rain on them every so often. Moira thought it was beautiful.

"So when do you want to start?" Draco asked as he turned to look at Moira.

"Tonight. We'll have to go someplace where no one will bother us, but I want to start tonight, I want you to be first." Moira replied as she met his gaze.

"I know the perfect room. Can we do it right after dinner?" He asked, his free hand tracing an unknown pattern across their clasped fingers.

"Yes." Moira said, a smile on her face. "I'm excited now."

"I'm nervous." Draco said, smiling as well.

"Why are you nervous?" Moira asked frowning.

"Oh, any number of reasons would suffice. I'm just nervous. I have a bad feeling that the honeymoon will be over soon and I'm not looking forward to it." Draco replied dryly.

"What?" Moira asked with a small laugh.

"I just have a bad feeling, something feels off. I'm nervous or worried or both."

Moira moved on the rock so she was sitting behind Draco, as he continued to stare across the lake. She wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly, trying to comfort him.

"I'm worried about Voldemort finding out or worse, my father finding out. I'm worried that they already know and that punishment is coming. I'm worried that they'll find out who, what, you are and that they'll take you away from me. I'm scared of my feelings and I'm worried about the task that lies ahead of me. I'm just…" Draco said, trailing off and laying his head in her lap. He hid his face and sighed. What he really felt was helpless and that was definitely not something Draco Malfoy was used to feeling.

Moira languidly stroked her fingers through his silky, white-blonde hair, enjoying the feel of his hair on her skin. She was blissfully aware of his head in her lap, but she loved every minute of it. However, she wasn't sure what to say to his admission.

"I promise that no one will take me from you, not Voldemort and not your father. I promise that everything will work out, it might take a while and I can't promise that all of it will be pleasant but it _will_ be ok. I will make it ok. Ok?" Moira asked, looking down at his hidden face.

Draco nodded, his face still hidden. His arms snaked around her torso and enveloped her in a hug. He immensely enjoyed the feelings of security and love he felt in her presence. He reveled the moments that they were alone and could quietly enjoy each other's company. He felt solace in her embrace and warmth in her smile. It was at that moment that he realized something; he was falling hard for her, he really was.

_A/N:_

_I apologize that it has taken so long for me to update! _

_Thank you to everyone who has read this story so far and a VERY special thank you to those of you who have reviewed (YAY!). _

_*I'm terrible at writing summaries. If anyone would like to write a better summary for this story I would be very grateful. _

_**The last line of this chapter, "…he was falling for her, he really was." is a nod to one of my favorite fanfiction authors, . I highly recommend her stories. They are brilliant! Many of them are complete and I think nearly every one of them is a romance story : )_

_THANK YOU!_

_Dracofan53_


	5. Paramal Symamio

_Paramal Symamio_

Moira and Draco spent the rest of the afternoon on the rock looking out over the lake. Draco rested with his head in her lap and Moira continued to languidly stroke her fingers through his silken hair. They spoke little, but it was a comfortable silence shared between friends.

As the sun dipped below horizon and the last vestiges of the day turned slowly into night, they silently agreed to walk inside for dinner. Draco sighed and stood, offering her his hand; yet sorry to leave their sanctuary and the solace they found in this place and each other's arms.

Neither spoke as they walked hand-in-hand to the Great Hall and took their place at the Slytherin table. They shared amiable conversation with Blaise as they ate, hiding their clasped hands under the table. There was closeness between them that had not existed before that day and both savored the feeling.

"Ready?" Draco asked as they stood from the table.

"Almost. I need to go to my room first and then I'll be ready." Draco nodded and allowed her to lead them to their common room.

Moira left Draco for only a moment to grab her potion and within the next moment they were on their way to a place that Moira knew not, except that it would leave them secluded from the world.

After several turns and flights of stairs, Draco paused in front of an empty expanse of wall. He released her hand and paced in front of the wall three times, walking back and forth with an expression of utter concentration on his face. Moira was confused, but had the grace to be silent and place her trust in him.

As Draco finished his third pass in front of the expanse of wall, a door appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Without a word, Draco took Moira's hand in his own and led her through the door and into what looked like a living room. It was elegant in its simplicity and offered a sense of tranquility. In the middle there was an old-fashioned loveseat with mahogany wood and dark green velvet fabric. The walls and floor were made of stone and the floor was covered in a plush black rug. An ornate fireplace was situated in front of the loveseat, heating the room with a blazing fire. There were candles lit in sconces, which offered warm light to the room. The only other furniture was a mahogany coffee table in front of the loveseat.

"What is this room?" Moira asked as her eyes examined the room, taking in its beauty and simplicity.

"This is the Room of Requirement. It offers whatever room its seeker needs. We needed solitude and comfort and that is what the room provided." Draco knew that this was not the best explanation, but Moira accepted it as it was and did not ask further questions.

She walked over to the loveseat and fingered the carvings on the wood frame before sitting. Draco stood, unsure of how to proceed and possibly more nervous than he had ever been in his life.

"Come sit with me." Moira requested quietly. Draco did as requested and took the seat next to her. She took his hand in hers and placed a chaste kiss on top.

"Are you ready?" She asked, now clasping his hand between both of hers. He nodded, unable to find his voice.

She offered him a reassuring smile and kissed his hand once more.

"What do I need to do?" Draco asked, his voice not above a whisper and shaking with nerves.

"Lay your hands flat, palms up love, I'll do the rest." She smiled again and laid her hands on his, so that their hands were palm to palm.

"_Paramal Symamio." _Moira said quietly, uttering the incantation, which when translated from Latin meant, "protection from evil with love", that would allow her to share her magic with him.

Her fingers glowed as her magic flooded into in her hands, preparing to transfer to him. She pressed her palms into his, encouraging him to do the same. His eyes were transfixed on their hands, as the glow appeared to travel seamlessly from her fingertips to his. He could feel her magic enter his veins. It filled him with warmth that he had never known. In that moment he felt joy beyond comprehension. He wanted to explode from the eruption of emotion he felt as her magic flooded through him. He closed his eyes briefly and then turned his gaze and looked into eyes. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.

Her eyes bore into his with unadulterated love, even as they cried tears, whether from joy or sadness he knew not; he only knew that in that moment she loved him completely and he loved her. Their hands remained pressed together, palm to palm, as he leaned forward and captured her lips in a searing kiss. His kiss expressed what his words would not allow him to and she melted into him, returning his passion tenfold.

She removed her hands from his, the transfer complete, and enveloped him in her arms as he enveloped her in his. They kissed as though they could not breathe without the other's lips. They shared their love in a single kiss and far too soon, the moment ended and they parted.

They sat for several minutes, simply holding each other, too spent to speak. Draco hid his face in the crook of her neck; he was overwhelmed with new feeling and energy. He could literally feel love radiating from her and then Draco did something he had never done before, he glowed. His cheeks shone brilliantly in the small room. When the realization hit, he pulled away slightly and looked at Moira in questioning. She offered him a kind smile, too exhausted for much more

"I told you that would happen." She said, her voice almost a whisper, but a smile still clear on her lips.

"You'll have to teach me how to control it." Draco said, smiling as well.

"I will. Just try to resist feeling too strongly about something. Stay calm and you ought to be ok." She replied, laying her head on his shoulder. Draco wrapped his arms around her, holding her huddled form closely to his chest. She moved her head down to rest on his chest as she curled into his embrace and could feel as much as hear, his racing heart. She was exhausted and felt that all semblance of strength had left her body. She felt weaker than she had ever felt and knew that she needed to take her potion lest she faint from exhaustion.

"Draco, I need to take my potion." She whispered, extricating herself from his embrace. She slowly bent down to retrieve her potion from its place on the floor by the couch and took a swig of the potion. Its effects were strong and were noticeable seconds after it touched her lips. She felt its warmth radiate from her core and revive her completely. She smiled as she felt her strength return and turned her gaze upon a once again glowing Draco.

"You must be awfully happy to be glowing so brilliantly." Moira remarked in a teasing tone, which only caused Draco to blush further.

"Oi! No teasing, this is your fault." He said, returning her teasing tone. Moira giggled and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"So you feel ok?" Moira asked, seriousness returning to her voice.

"OK? I feel bloody excellent. I can't help but be happy right now, almost idiotically so. Its weird to feel this happy, but I do." He said, a smile on his face the whole time.

"That's my fault too. You have a bit of me running through your veins now, which means you have a bit of my emotions and they'll influence your emotions. That effect will diminish over time and my emotions won't influence yours as strongly, but I'm glad you're happy." Moira replied, a smile on her face as well.

With a stupid grin on his face, Draco caressed her cheek and pulled her in for an intimate kiss that lasted mere moments but spoke volumes.

"I'm happy because you make me happy. It's more than your magic. I can't help but be happy when I'm around you and I've never felt so happy or cared for in my life. I want to be more than your friend. I want to make you as happy as you make me. I want you." Draco said kissing her at the end of his proclamation.

"I'm yours." Moira assured him, sealing her statement with a fiery kiss. This kiss was different than all of the kisses that they had shared before. He could feel her desire as he kissed her. It wasn't that he could feel any physical signs, although they were there. It was that he could actually sense her desire and he felt it as though it was his own, which only caused his own desire to increase. In the same way, Moira could feel his desire, causing her to grow more wanton in pursuit of his lips. Her hands, which were wrapped in his hair, moved slowly down the each side of his face, coming to rest on his shoulders before moving to the front of his school robes. She undid the fastenings and slid her hands inside, sliding her palms over his chest as she did so. She could feel his muscles tighten under her touch, as the intensity of their kisses increased. Her palms moved further up his chest, wandering to his shoulders and down his arms, bringing his robes with them.

Draco let a soft moan escape at the sensations she was eliciting from him. In haste, he removed her robes, bringing her soft, feminine form closer to his hard, masculine frame. They could each sense the others desire and excitement at the situation, serving to increase those feelings with each passing moment. Her hands wound their way back into his hair as his tongue flicked out to taste her lips, sighing at their sweetness as he did so. His hands were playing with the tender flesh of her hips as his tongue finally met her tongue in sensual dance.

After several long minutes, they parted, both out of breath, their foreheads pressed together as they attempted to regain the capacity to breathe. That accomplished, they continued to gaze at each other, an unspoken conversation occurring between them. They weren't ready for anything more, any more and they would be unable to stop. With another chaste kiss, they were placated for the moment and wrapped in each other's arms, they cuddled on the couch for several hours, alternating between silence and hushed conversations.

When they finally did emerge from the room of requirement, it was nearly past curfew. They reached their common room, out of breath from running, and huddled on the abandoned couch, in front of the still blazing fireplace.

At around one in the morning, neither able to keep their eyes open a moment longer, they parted and made their way to their separate rooms, though not before sharing one more meaningful and nearly insatiable kiss.

The next morning, still utterly exhausted, Moira rose before the sun to meet Harry, Ron, and Hermione in front of the Great Hall before breakfast began. She yawned, attempting to gain more oxygen for her lungs, and rubbed the sleep from her still weary eyes. She then quickly showered, the cold water awakening her nerves, brushed her teeth, and did a simple drying spell on her hair. She dressed haphazardly and a quick glance in her satchel told her she had everything she would need for the day.

Making her way as quietly as possible, so as not to wake the other occupants, she slipped from her shared quarters, through the common room and out into the, not yet lit corridors, to make her way to the Great Hall. She arrived there a few minutes later, yawning as she came upon the Golden trio, waiting in nervous anticipation just outside the large and imposing doors of the Great Hall.

"Morning." Moira greeted, a drowsy, but happy smile on her face. The three friends returned her friendly greeting and the foursome made their way up the stairs to, what Moira now knew was, the room of requirement.

They arrived several minutes later and Moira, Hermione, and Ron waited patiently as Harry paced in front of the wall three times. On his third pass in front of the wall, a door appeared, which Harry opened, ushering the other three inside. The sight that met Moira's eyes was vastly different than the one she had been met with the night before.

This room lacked the elegance and sophistication of the room that she and Draco had occupied the previous night. However, what it lacked in elegance and sophistication, it more than made up for with warmth and coziness. This room had dark wood floors and wood paneled walls, still with a blazing fire in a large fireplace that was in the center of one of the walls. A deep red, large, plush, and cushy couch sat in front of the fireplace on top of a deep red and gold, and extremely soft rug. Candles were lit and floating at various points in the room, offering more light to its occupants. Two cushy armchairs sat at right angles to the couch and the only other furniture, a mahogany coffee table, sat in middle.

The foursome sat comfortably around the coffee table, Moira sitting on the couch with Harry and, Ron and Hermione sitting in the two armchairs.

"Harry, you'll go first, then Hermione and Ron." Moira stated softly, looking at each of them as she spoke. "Are you ready?"

Harry gave a brief nod and Moira positioned his hands, palms up, in front of him before placing her hands over his.

"_Paramal Symamio." _She muttered, and then she pressed her palms to Harry's, watching as his eyes widened in surprise. After the initial shock of the new sensations wore off, Harry chanced a look at Moira and found her steadily returning his gaze. He smiled brilliantly as the last of the transfer occurred. When it was complete she removed her hands from his and sank back into the sofa, not as spent as she had been after transferring her magic to Draco, yet still somewhat worse for the wear.

Ron and Hermione laughed at the sight of their best friend's glowing cheeks, unable to keep it back. Moira smiled in response and the glow of Harry's cheeks grew brighter.

"Bugger off, it'll be you two next." Harry replied, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"I'll leave it to the two of you to decide who's next." Moira offered, glancing at Ron and Hermione. While Hermione and Ron silently decided who would go next, Moira took her potion out of her bag and took a healthy swig before returning it to its place, her strength once again renewed.

"You go next Hermione." Ron said, still a bit nervous. Hermione nodded and traded places with Harry.

Hermione and Moira faced each other on the couch. Moira drew in a deep breath and place her palms over Hermione's.

"_Paramal Symamio."_ She whispered. She pressed her palms to Hermione's, more of her magic leaving through her fingertips. Hermione's eyes grew wide as the magic filled her, a warmth radiating through her as feelings of joy filled her. Moira offered her a small smile and steadied herself against a wave of dizziness. With each person she gave her magic to, she felt more and more weak. She would need more of her potion before she attempted Ron.

After a few more moments Moira removed her hands and slumped back against the sofa for a brief reprieve before she took more of her potion and gave away more of her magic.

Harry and Ron laughed at Hermione's brightly lit cheeks. Hermione, unable to help herself, was chuckling too. Moira joined in offering a smile to the group.

"Oh shush. Ron your next." Hermione replied, rising to trade places with Ron.

Ron stood and offered Hermione a goofy face as he passed her, which caused Hermione to giggle even more, and took his seat next to Moira on the couch. Moira took a few final sips of her potion and once again replaced it in her bag. Ron was still smiling as he offered up his palms, his face turning more serious as he noticed the weary expression on Moira's face.

"Are you alright?" Ron inquired, "You look a bit pale." He observed.

"I'm fine." Moira ground out. "I'm just a bit tired that's all. Give me your hands please." She amended, kindness returning to her voice.

Ron sighed, slightly annoyed with her rudeness, but offered his palms just the same. Moira placed her hands on his, closing her eyes as she did so. She took a deep breath, steadying herself against another wave of dizziness.

"_Paramal Symamio."_ She muttered, so softly not even Ron could hear her properly. It didn't matter though, it worked anyway, and her magic was, for the fourth time in less than twenty-four hours, flowing from her fingertips once more. Moira pressed her palms to Ron's and he pressed his to hers.

Ron sighed contentedly as feelings of joy danced their way into his mind. His cheeks were lit brightly and a smile played on his lips. Moira offered a ghost of a smile at his reaction and waited several moments more before the final transfer was complete.

Now, truly exhausted, Moira allowed herself to, once again, collapse into the soft sofa. She would definitely have to pay a visit to her head of house before breakfast. She would need a stronger potion if she were to keep doing this.

"Want to walk to breakfast with us?" Harry asked as he, Hermione, and Ron gathered their things.

"I've got to go see professor Snape, but yes, I'll walk down with you." Moira replied as she too gathered her things.

The four of them left the room and wandered into the hallways of the school. The sun was finally beginning to rise and could be seen shining through the windows as they walked through the halls and down the stairs toward the Great Hall.

The four parted ways and said good-bye, Moira taking the corridor that would lead to her head of house; the other three taking the corridor that would lead to the Great Hall.

Moira walked for several minutes in silence, descending further into the bowels of the school. When she finally reached professor Snape's office, she discovered that he was not alone. She could hear Draco's voice coming through the narrowly open door. Their conversation sounded intense and she figured that they were probably discussing Draco's task.

Hermione had informed Moira of Harry's suspicions, which Moira had then confronted Draco about. Although he had not admitted to exactly what the task was, he had admitted that Voldemort had assigned him a task and alluded to the fact that the task was of a vile nature. He assured her that it was not something he was proud of, but extenuating circumstances left him with no choice but to "follow orders". She also knew from Dumbledore that Snape was assisting, or rather, trying to assist Draco in his task. Dumbledore had also made her promise not to let Draco's task interfere with her task or any feelings she might have toward Draco.

Not wanting to seem as though she was trying to eavesdrop, which she truly wasn't, she called out, "Professor Snape?" and knocked on the slightly ajar door. She heard their voices drop, Draco asking, "Who's that?" followed by footsteps and a muffled reply from the professor as he opened the door.

"Ms. Verene. What can I do for you?" Snape asked tiredly from his door, not yet allowing her into his office.

"Moira?" She heard Draco ask from somewhere behind the professor.

"Morning Draco." Moira returned, a smile gracing her features, as her cheeks emitted a soft glow under the amused gaze of their professor. Professor Snape smirked in understanding and stood aside to allow her to enter. He looked away as Draco greeted Moira with a chaste kiss, slipping his arm around her waist as he did so. She blushed at his actions, a soft glow still evident on her cheeks and turned to face the professor, Draco's arm still loosely wrapped around her waist.

"Professor?" Moira voiced, asking her professor for his attention.

"Yes, Ms. Verene?" Professor Snape returned.

"The potion that you brewed for me, I'm not sure if it's strong enough. I could barely handle the three of them this morning. I felt so weak and dizzy. It was worse after each one" She replied.

"I'll brew something stronger. Come see me after dinner and it should be ready."

"Thank you professor!" Moira exclaimed, relief apparent in her voice and stance as she relaxed into Draco.

"Now, why don't you take Draco to breakfast? He's not being agreeable this morning and you need to eat something to preserve your strength." Professor Snape voiced, pulling out various ingredients as he did so.

Moira giggled at Draco's surprised expression and took his hand in hers leading him out of their head of house's office. Once they were in the sanctuary of the hall Draco allowed a grin to spread over his face. He pulled her a ways down the hall before pulling her into a small alcove to properly greet her.

Draco wrapped his arms around her waist, her arms around his as he pulled her into a close hug. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent and sighing in contentment as he held her.

"Morning love." Came his muffled greeting. Moira smiled and returned his greeting with a kiss to his exposed neck.


	6. A Storm Called Pansy

_A Storm Called Pansy_

There was a noticeable change in the sixth years that day. For one thing, Draco was practically giddy. An _actual_ smile graced his handsome features and not once did he smirk or make a rude comment…to _anyone_. He couldn't even find it in him to stir up trouble with the Golden Trio, who were excessively happy that day as well. Although Moira was somewhat subdued due to the fact that she had shared her magic with four people and went without much sleep the night before, she still brightened every room she walked through.

In fact, the sixth years had generally been more agreeable and tolerable of each other this year simply because of Moira's presence. Her happiness literally infused the air, causing each individual's happiest memories to float through their consciousness, making it difficult for those around her to be anything except happy. Add to that the happiness of four others, and well, it would have been difficult for anyone to find something to be sour about that day. It would have been difficult, yes, but it wasn't impossible. In fact, someone indeed found it to be to be quite possible.

Pansy Parkinson found the whole display to be quite nauseating. For one thing, Draco and Moira made a sickeningly sweet display, holding hands and sharing, well for lack of a better word, moony-eyed looks. Their love was palpable as they sat at the Slytherin table, indulging in secretive smiles and chaste kisses during breakfast, and there was no reprieve to be found in the common room; for they followed her there and sat in plain sight, cuddled closely, whispering to each other. It all made her sick. So she thought a bit of fresh air might make her feel better, but no. They followed her there too, taking a walk around the lake; their hands clasped tightly, heads tilted together.

It was when she saw them pass by, walking back into the school, his arm protectively around her waist as they walked, that she snapped. Her anger boiled over and she acted completely on rage.

She stalked angrily over to the happy couple and effectively stopped them by grabbing Moira's wrist, yanking her out of Draco's grasp.

"I need to have a word with you." Pansy seethed, immediately dragging Moira away from Draco in the direction of the formidable Forbidden Forrest. All the while Draco was shouting and running after them.

Pansy stopped several feet from the entrance of the frightening Forbidden Forrest and forced a struggling Moira up against a tree, her wrist still grasped in Pansy's hand, so tightly Moira was sure it would bruise.

"Who do you think you are? He is mine." Pansy whispered, barely an inch from Moira's face; her voice laced with not so subtle malice, "You would do well to stay away from him. He is _mine._ I _will_ have him and if you do not let him go willingly, I will not hesitate to bring others into this, others that will force you to let him go."

"I will not." Moira returned, her voice full of rage as she tried, unsuccessfully, to remove her wrist from Pansy's grip, "There is no one that can make me leave him and certainly not some foul bint like you." Pansy smacked Moira across the face wither free hand, seething with rage. This only further enraged Moira, who grabbed a fistful of Pansy's hair and yanked with all of her might. Pansy screamed using her free hand to try to force Moira's hand from her hair.

"Let her go, Pansy!" Draco shouted as he arrived, still running toward them.

"No! Not until she gives up!" Pansy returned, tightening her grip on Moira's wrist as Moira pulled harder on her hair.

"No. I won't and it won't matter who else you bring into this, no one, not even your precious _Lord_, can make me leave him." Moira replied waspishly, a scowl evident upon her, usually, lovely features.

"Let. Her. Go." Draco threatened, brandishing his wand.

Pansy sent Draco a glare, further tightening her grip on Moira's wrist.

"This isn't over. I will have him and you will pay." Pansy promised, digging her nails into Moira's flesh so deeply that small pearls or blood formed around Pansy's fingers. Moira shrieked and released Pansy's hair. Pansy then released Moira's wrist, sneering at Draco as she did so, and walked away.

Like lightning, Draco had Moira in the safety of his arms.

"Are you alright?" He whispered worriedly. Moira nodded in reply, hugging him tightly, glad to be away from Pansy.

"Let me see your wrist." Moira showed Draco her bruised and now bloody wrist scowling at the sight of it. Draco swore under his breath, and performed a quick healing spell, instantly closing the moon shaped slits in her wrist and vanishing the finger shaped bruises that had already formed on her skin.

"What did she say to you?" Draco asked as they sat against the tree, which only moments ago, Moira was pinned to.

"She threatened me; she wants me to let you go." Moira replied, scowling as she did so.

"You're not going to are you?" Draco questioned, a look a concern flashing across his eyes.

"Draco! Of course I'm not going to, what do you take me for? No one is going to make me let you go and certainly not that evil trollop." Moira scowled further and crossed her arms, unhappy with Draco's assumptions that she might leave him simply because she was threatened. The idea of it all was ridiculous; Pansy was ridiculous, though that's not to say that she didn't take the evil girl's threats seriously, for she did.

Moira knew that although Pansy had a penchant for dramatics, her threats were serious and should be taken that way. This wasn't over, the foul girl would try something again; would probably try anything to reach her goal.

"What are we going to do?" Moira asked a few moments later, sighing as she relaxed intro Draco's embrace.

"We're going to stay together and not let her scare us. I promise I won't let her do anything else to you. I promise that I will protect you from her." Draco assured her as he tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know you will Draco, but she's not going to give this up, she's going to be unbearable. She wants revenge and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Draco. She's not just going to give this up." Moira replied with a soft sigh.

"Well, she's not going to get me either. No one is going to separate us, not now that we have each other. Trust me, it will all work out. Our love is stronger than her desire for revenge." He said, hoping to assuage her worries, but knowing that they would do little to help.

"Ok. Ok, I trust you." Moira smiled at Draco and kissed him soundly. He met and returned her kiss passionately; the only way he felt he could truly articulate his feelings for her. In just a month she had taken residence in his heart and he knew that it would never again be for sale. His feelings were too strong for them to abate any time soon. She was an incredible person full of life and love. She was brave, kind and beautiful, both inside and out. She challenged him intellectually, shared his love of reading, and his love of flying, although she didn't care much for Quidditch. He loved her, and she loved him, nothing could tear then apart.

Later that afternoon, Moira met with Harry, Hermione, and Ron by the lake, while Draco worked on his task. She offered her help, though he refused to accept it. She hated that he had to devote his time to something so rotten even though it was necessary for him to fulfill his task. She even understood his reasoning, but she just couldn't stand the fact that he was being put through this. It wasn't right. This task, this life that he was being forced to live, was responsible for the state his soul was in. He wasn't meant for the life he had been raised to live.

The group found a nice spot under the shade of the tree and Moira proceeded to tell them about what happened with Pansy.

"She is a vile creature, isn't she?" Hermione agreed after Moira finished her story.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked as he plucked blades of grass from the earth.

"We're not going to do anything, except, perhaps, watch her a bit more carefully." Moira replied, with a tired sigh.

"Nothing? Not even a little hex?" Ron asked incredulously. "I mean, I'd at least get her with a bat bogey hex or something. You can't just let her get away with this."

"I can't do that. It would only add to this mess, give her further cause to exact her revenge on me. If she tries anything again though, all bets are off." Moira replied.

"Well, we'll keep an eye on her too." Harry offered; Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. I really do appreciate it. I'm sorry to have dragged you lot in to this, but I thought you should know." Moira stated, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"What are friends for?" Hermione asked, offering her a smile.

"Thank you. So, enough of that rubbish, how are you lot doing today?"

"Couldn't be happier." Ron replied, unable to hide a grin or control the glow of his cheeks. The others laughed and agreed that they too were happy.

"It's a bit odd being this happy." Harry stated, "Though I suppose you get used to it." Moira nodded, indicating that they would get used to feeling that way.

"How are you feeling today?" Hermione asked as she leaned back against the tree.

"A bit tired, but alright." Moira replied. "Snape's going to brew a stronger potion for me so I ought to be able to handle the transfer better next time."

The four stayed under the tree, laughing and sharing stories until it was time for dinner. They walked to the Great Hall together and parted ways at the door, promising to meet at the room of requirement first thing in the morning. The Golden trio then headed to the Gryffindor table, Moira walked over to the Slytherin table.

The other Slytherin's glared at Moira's display of friendship with the Gryffindors, but Draco could only smile as Moira, his girlfriend, joined him at the table.

"Have a nice chat?" He asked, kissing her cheek as she sat beside him.

"Yes and they promised to help keep an eye on Pansy." She replied, speaking lowly so as not to be overheard.

"I don't know how you stand them." Blaise announced. "I mean their bloody Gryffindors for Merlin's sake."

"They really aren't so bad and unlike you lot, I haven't grown up hating them simply because they're Gryffindors. I actually like to get to know people before I decide to hate them." Moira replied, giving Blaise a pointed look.

"But still, I mean they aren't just any Gryffindors. They're the bloody Golden Trio, those three wouldn't know fun if it bit them in the arse." He replied, a look of repulsion on his handsome face.

"That's where you're wrong my Slytherin friend." Moira replied.

"Seeing as though I won't be spending any time with them, I'll just have to take your word for it." He replied with a smirk.

"I suppose you will." Moira answered, returning his smirk.

Dinner carried on, as most meals did, with Moira and Draco sharing amiable conversation with Blaise, Theodore Nott, butting his way in to the conversation every once in a while. After pudding, their plates cleared and Moira and Draco excused themselves from the table. Blaise and Theo gave Draco knowing looks, to which he replied to with a shrug of his shoulders, refusing to set his friends straight. Moira rolled her eyes and pulled Draco along with her. Draco laughed and kissed her hand as they exited the Great Hall.

"You're such a boy." Moira huffed as they walked back to the common room.

"What? Its not as though I can tell them what's really going on and we are a couple now, so what's the harm?" Draco asked.

"None, I guess, I just don't want them to get the wrong idea about me." She replied, a slight pout to her lips.

"They won't. They won't think you're some trollop if that's what you're worried about." Draco assured her, wrapping his arm around her waist as he did so.

"It is and they will. They may respect me while I'm with you but…" Moira trailed off not wanting to finish her thought.

"Well then they'll always respect you because you'll always be with me, and it's the best way to keep them from being suspicious of what we're really doing, now can we please drop it?" Draco requested, his cheeks beginning to glow. Moira smiled and nodded.

"You're glowing." She teased as they neared the common room. Draco only glowed more at her teasing and did his best to try to calm down.

"I'll be right back." Moira promised, kissing his cheek before dashing up the stairs to her room.

Not a moment after Moira left the room he was mauled by Pansy.

"Pansy, ugh, what the hell?" Draco shouted as she knocked him to the ground, hitting his head against the floor in the process. She immediately straddled his waist and held her wand to his throat.

"You belong to me. You are betrothed to me. You will get rid of her or I will do it for you, do you understand?" She whispered, her tone barely containing her anger.

"Get off of me you stupid bint! What the hell is your problem?" Draco shouted, rage running through his veins, his head throbbing from making contact with the floor.

"Damn it Draco! We are betrothed! I can not have you messing around with some trollop, it's unseemly." She replied, her words dripping with venom, wand steadily at his throat.

"We won't be betrothed much longer, not after I speak with my Father, and until then you won't lay a finger on her or _I_ will bring others into this that will not hesitate to get rid of _you._ Do you understand?" Draco spat, throwing Pansy's words back at her. Pansy had the gall to laugh.

"Oh, you silly, silly, boy. Your _Father_ can't exactly do anything from Azkaban and I doubt that our Lord would really be willing to do anything for the likes of you right now. There is no one to help you. You are mine and the sooner you realize that the better things will be for everyone involved." Pansy laughed again, apparently quite amused, and then, quite suddenly, her features changed. Suddenly a look of horror crossed Pansy's face as she was lifted in the air and carelessly flung to one of the leather couches. Thick ropes, which wound from her shoulders to her ankles, then bound her making any movement impossible.

"You will stay away from him." Moira seethed as she walked into the common room. She approached Pansy, her wand trained on Pansy's bound figure. Moira came within an inch of Pansy's face, her vexation apparent in her glowing cheeks. "If I see you threaten him or come near him again I will not be so kind. Do not mess with me, you evil, spineless girl." Moira slapped Pansy, hard, for good measure and walked over to Draco.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, taking his hand in hers.

"I'm fine, I've got a bit of a headache, but I'm fine. Remind me never to make you angry." Moira smiled and turned once more to Pansy.

"I've warned you now. If you don't leave this alone, I won't give you another warning." Moira spat waspishly.

With that said, Moira turned and walked out of the common room, allowing Draco to lead the way.

"Shouldn't you untie her or something? Not that I'm worried for her, I just don't want you getting into trouble." Draco asked as they made their way to the room of requirement.

"She'll be fine. The others will let her go when they come back and if they don't then it serves her right. Besides, I made sure that she wouldn't be able to tattle on me even if she tried."

"How did you do that?" Draco asked, curiosity apparent in his eyes.

"A very handy spell. My Daddy used it on me when I was little, very effective way to teach your children not to tattle. It won't hurt her, she just won't be able to tell anyone that I did it to her." Moira smiled as they continued up, what seemed like, the millionth staircase.

"You'll have to teach me." Moira smiled, and nodded, indicating that she would teach him.

"Are you really betrothed to Pansy?" Moira asked as they approached the room of requirement. Draco paced three times in front of the expanse of wall, not answering her question, and the door appeared. Draco held the door open as Moira walked in to the same room she and he had used the night before.

"Draco?" Moira asked as she sat on the ornate loveseat. Draco joined Moira and took her hand in his, a pensive look on his face.

"Yes, I am, but it doesn't change anything between us. The betrothal doesn't mean anything. I'll write my Mother, let her know about us. I'll make sure that she and my Father take care of it."

"Are you sure?" Moira replied, biting her lip, displaying her uncertainty.

"I'm positive. The betrothal was always a way to ensure that I carried on our line. Pansy was never my parents first choice for me." Moira nodded, and accepted his assurances, though still a bit weary of the situation. They were only together for one day and already he was betrothed to someone else. Granted he was betrothed to Pansy before ever meeting Moira, but still, it left her unsettled.

"Still nervous?" Moira asked as she placed her hands against his.

"No, sort of excited now, actually." Moira smiled and muttered the spell, before pressing her lips to his, taking Draco by surprise. He recovered quickly and returned her kisses as fervently as she gave them. It was an odd sensation to have her magic flowing between their lips, but he found that the intimate contact was much more intense than the simple action of pressing his palms to hers.

His hormones ran rampant through his system as her magic mixed with his and filled his veins. His desire grew more intense as each second passed, spurred by her growing desire, and only slightly abated when the transfer was complete. He continued to kiss her, his hands tangled in her hair, as she encouraged him with her own passion. Her wanton pursuit of his lips drove him crazy in the most wonderful way. They commanded his attention and eagerly sought his reply.

Somehow, within the tangled mess of hands and lips, he laid her back, as much as possible, on the loveseat, pressing his body as close to hers as possible through the thick fabric of their robes and uniform. His desire to feel her skin against his was tangible as he alternately caressed her face and weaved his hands in her thick tresses. Their kisses grew insistent as their need threatened to take over their control. His hands wandered under her oxford shirt and she allowed herself the same luxury, her fingers trailing over the defined muscles of his chest; then raking over his back. She was steadily losing her control, ready to surrender to the will of their love. His expert fingers flicked across her taut nipples, causing her to moan in her delight; encouraging his skilled hands to seek out other bits of flesh to torment with pleasure.

"Draco," Moira groaned, her breathing ragged, "we have to stop. We can't…we just can't. Not yet."

"Why?" Draco whined as he disentangled himself from her.

"Because we just can't yet. We can't handle it and I don't mean that we aren't ready, although we have only been officially together for a day; I just mean that it would be too intense. We would explode from the pleasure. Well, perhaps, not literally explode, but either way, it's just… we can't." Moira explained.

"Well, when can we?" He petulantly replied.

"When we're married." Moira stated. Draco laughed, but then noted that Moira wasn't laughing.

"Are you serious?" He questioned, his jaw slack from shock.

"Unfortunately, I'm quite serious. We cannot have sex until my magic flows permanently through your veins and we can't do that until I turn seventeen and we are allowed to marry, so here we are."

"Can we still do everything else?" He asked, and now it was Moira's turn to laugh.

"I'm sorry, you're just such a boy, but yes we can." Draco accepted this answer by kissing Moira again. She smiled as his lips met hers and returned his kiss.

Meanwhile, back in the Slytherin common room, Pansy was boiling. The ropes Moira bound her with were very effective. They tightened when she struggled and loosened when she sat still, though never enough to allow her to free herself from their grasp. She couldn't believe the bitch. The nerve of that trollop showing up out of nowhere and stealing the man that she was betrothed to! It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, and Pansy was determined to make Moira pay. She would have her revenge and it would be served cold.

Blaise and Theo were the first to return to the common room and thus found Pansy slumped against the couch, a foul expression gracing her unappealing features. The boys laughed, causing Pansy to growl at them, which only encouraged them to laugh even more.

"Alright, you've had your laughs, now, untie me!" She shouted at them. The boys shared a look and then burst into laughter once more.

"Why would we do that? Someone was finally kind enough to restrain you, I have no desire to release you." Blaise answered, a hint of laughter still evident in his voice as he stood, arms crossed.

"Don't look at me. I'm certainly not eager to have you free either, but tell us, who was sweet enough to finally restrain you?" Theo asked, his curiosity obvious.

"M-m…" Pansy stuttered, attempting to give away the identity of her captor, "that evil little trollop who thinks she's going to get away with trying to steal my man, that's who." Pans replied, frustrated at being unable to actually speak the name of her attacker.

"Moira?" Blaise asked, truly shocked.

"Well, she's a feisty one, isn't she?" Theo commented. Blaise nodded his head in agreement.

"Well, it certainly takes away any doubt that she was sorted into the right house." Blaise replied.

"So what did you do?" Theo asked. Pansy huffed, and puffed, and shrieked.

"I didn't do anything. I was simply having a conversation with Draco when out of nowhere that foul bint flings me across the room and ties me up. Now will you, _please_, untie me?" She hollered.

The boys laughed again but set about untying the unfortunate girl. Once free, Pansy stormed out of the common room and stomped up the stairs to her room. Moira would pay, she would pay dearly; she would be humiliated and alone, when Pansy finished with her. It wouldn't be easy, in fact it would require very difficult, very dark magic, but she would have her revenge.

Blaise and Theo shared another look as they watched her retreating form and once again burst into laughter.

"Never a dull moment, with that one." Blaise commented as he and Theo sat on the couch that had been recently vacated by Pansy.

"Breakfast ought to be interesting." Theo agreed.

_A/N: I apologize for the long time in between updates. I'm working toward my bachelor's degree, which means lots of papers and practicum hours (fun!). However, I am dedicated to finishing this story, so I ask, if you like the story, then please bare with me, it will be completed. _

_Also, I'm open to your suggestions. I have the plot all figured out, I know where I want this story to go and where I want it to end, however, if there are certain things that you would like to see happen in the story or have suggestions for scenes that you would like to see, I'm happy to try and include them. I will not include anything that would take the story away from the intended plot, but if I can include your suggestion, I will. _

_I upped the rating to be safe and because I feel that the plot might become too mature for a 'T' rating._

_Now, please leave a review!_

_THANK YOU for reading so far! I hope you like it and will continue reading ___

_Dracofan53_


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